A 16-year-old student escaped after the Perodua Myvi he was driving veered off the road and plunged into a river near the Pengkalan Petah floodgate here on Saturday.
The incident occurred at around 3.10pm when the Form Four student from a school in Kota Bharu was believed to be on his way home after attending tuition classes.
Operations Commander Fire Officer Nor Azini Che Wil said the teenager told rescuers that he had fallen asleep while driving due to fatigue, and upon regaining consciousness, his vehicle had already sunk in the river at an estimated depth of 15 metres.
“The teenager used his left arm to break the front passenger-side window to escape from the vehicle.
“He was then assisted by members of the public using a rope to climb back onto the riverbank,” she said.
Nor Azini said the vehicle landed close to the riverbank, which helped the teenager escape, adding that he also remained calm throughout the incident.
She said the student suffered injuries to his left arm and was taken to the Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM) for further treatment.
The Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call regarding the incident at about 3.20pm, with the rescue operation fully completed at 5pm.
