Man dives into lake to save car crash victims

The now-submerged car the victims were in.

BATU PAHAT: A man risked his own life when he dived into a lake at Jalan Bukit Pasir here to save the lives of three people who were in a car which skidded and plunged into the water here.

Suzaini Mohd Sadali, 43, a factory supervisor, said he was driving around the area known as Tasik Merdeka when he saw the car skid and ended up in the lake, which was once a bauxite mine.

"I saw two women, one next to the driver's seat and another in the rear seat, clinging onto the body of the car and crying.

"The driver of the car, a man, was already frantic. When he saw me, he screamed for help and I jumped without hesitation as I could not just leave them there," he said when contacted by reporters here on Tuesday (Jan 17).

Suzaini said he managed to get the man to the edge of the lake before two other men helped save the two women by pulling them to safety.

"I am grateful that all the victims were saved. This was a very valuable experience for me. I do know how to swim, but I didn't expect this lake to be so deep. If the victims were not rescued in time, they might have drowned," he said.

Meanwhile, Batu Pahat district police chief ACP Ismail Dollah said they received information about the incident from the public at 1.30pm.

He said preliminary investigations found that a man and the two women were travelling from Tongkang Pechah to Batu Pahat.

"The man lost control of the car and it skidded and went straight into the lake on the right side of the road but with the help of the public, the three victims were able to get out before the car sank.

"All three victims aged between 25 and 28 did not suffer any injuries," he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Rule 10 LN 166/59 for failing to control the vehicle while driving.

Earlier, several photos of the incident went viral on social media and netizens praised Suzaini for his brave and selfless act. – Bernama