QUICK thinking by members of the public resulted in the successful rescue of a mother and her autistic teenage daughter after their car veered off the road and plunged into a lake on Monday morning.
The dramatic rescue unfolded at approximately 10.40am at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) campus in Kota Samarahan, located about 30 kilometres from Kuching city.
According to a statement from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department, the mother was pulled from the submerged vehicle unconscious, while her daughter remained conscious and appeared physically unharmed.
“We received an emergency call at 10.40am reporting that a car had crashed into the Unimas lake,“ the department said.
“Our Kota Samarahan fire station rescue teams immediately responded to the scene. Members of the public who witnessed the accident had already dived into the water and reached the vehicle.
“Two women were successfully extracted from the car alive. One was unconscious while the other remained conscious.”
Emergency responders provided immediate medical treatment to the unconscious woman at the scene before rushing her to hospital for further care.
The incident involved a teenager with disabilities who escaped unscathed while her mother was found unconscious, according to updated reports.
The vehicle has since been retrieved from the water and moved to the lakeside.
The unconscious victim has been identified as Nur Shareefah Lusia, 50, while her daughter is 17-year-old Nurul Badrina.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident.
