Driver rescues three from car overturned in waterway

Bae Do-yoon (left) pulls a passenger out of a car that flipped over in Busan on Tuesday. (Busan Metropolitan City Fire Safety Headquarters)

A passerby saved three people trapped in a car in a farm waterway on Tuesday, near Maekdo River in western Busan, getting instruction from firefighters through a video call.

Bae Do-yoon, 39, spotted a car suddenly going over the curb as he headed to work on Tuesday morning.

Despite the illuminated brake lights at the rear, the car kept moving and flipped into the muddy waterway upside down, according to dashboard camera footage provided by the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Safety Headquarters.

The situation required urgent rescue, as the doors of the four-door car were blocked by mud while water surged into the car and Bae was unable to check the condition of the people inside. But it would take some time for the firefighters to reach the rural scene.

Bae decided to attempt rescue by himself while receiving guidance from the local fire authority through a video call.

Bae heard vocal sounds coming from the upside of the overturned car and communicated with the passengers to open a door, eventually getting a door to the rear of the vehicle that was less blocked by mud open.

An ambulance reached the scene as Bae pulled all three passengers out. He stayed there until emergency responders checked their condition.

The passengers seemed to be in a panic, unable to speak, according to Bae in an interview with local media, but they were found to be healthy upon checkup.

The Busan fire authority expressed gratitude to Bae, saying his selfless rescue saved the passengers.

By Lim Jae-seong(forestjs@heraldcorp.com)