KOTA KINABALU: Several teenagers have been hailed as heroes after diving into a flooded river to rescue two women stranded at the Tamparuli bridge on Thursday (Oct 1) evening.
The boys, believed to be in their early teens, jumped into the floodwaters with an older person when they noticed a car breaking down and nearly washing away at around 7pm.
Passersby and villagers who noticed the danger shouted for the driver to stop and warned them not to proceed due to strong currents.
The rescuers managed to get the two women out of the car and retrieved some of their belongings.
Their story was widely shared on various social media platforms, garnering praise from netizens.
It is learnt that the two tourists from Johor had rented a car and had never used the road before.
They were travelling from Kundasang back to Kota Kinabalu when floods hit many parts of Sabah due to continued downpours.
Following a mobile navigation application, they were unaware of the water levels and unfamiliar with the bridge and river.
Both women were reported safe but shaken by the incident, while the car was towed away to a workshop on Friday (Oct 2).
Floods across Tuaran, Tamparuli, Kota Kinabalu and Penampang triggered minor landslides and damaged vehicles, houses and other properties.
Penampang and Kota Kinabalu were declared disaster zones by authorities on Thursday (Oct 1), with over 60 families involving some 200 victims seeking shelter at relief centres.
Civil Defence Force officials were still registering displaced victims as of Friday (Oct 2) noon and believe the numbers could grow.
