Published : Wednesday, 1 August, 2018 at 9:59 PM, Count : 2446
Offbeat news: Firefighters in China rescued a driver who became stranded after trying
to clean his million-yuan sports utility vehicle (SUV) in a river to
skip paying for a car wash.
The man had driven his Land Rover
into what was a shallow river outside Chengdu on Wednesday when
floodgates were opened upstream, releasing a wall of water.
Before
he could even start washing his car, the water level suddenly rose
rapidly until he had to abandon his expensive car and ran to the delta.
Apparently, a nearby dam had just released water which caused a huge
surge flowing downstream.
The water rose so fast that within
minutes, the owner could barely see the top of his Land Rover anymore
while he himself was trapped on the delta in the middle of the river. He
had to call the local authorities for help.
The man fled for higher ground and called police after the vehicle became half submerged in the rapids.
Rescue crews arrived to find him stranded on an islet in the middle of the river.
Using
ropes and a harness, firefighters walked the man to safety through the
swift, knee-deep water in what was a 10-minute rescue, firefighters told
media.
The crew also pulled the soaked SUV from the river.
The
man later told rescuers he had the brilliant idea of washing the car in
the river in order to save 20 yuan ($2.50) for a proper car wash.
As
expected, this news began circulating on social media and netizens have
mixed reactions towards it. Some criticised the car’s owner for being
stingy while others felt genuinely sorry for him.
“He can afford such a luxurious car, but can’t afford a car wash,” a netizen said.
“He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” another Facebook user said.
Anyway,
we’re glad the car owner is safe now. Also, we hope his vehicle
insurance covers this type of loss, otherwise it may cost him a lot of
money to fix the luxury car!-Internet