Two rescued by Local swimmers as car plunges into river

By ADEOLU ADEYEMO, Oshogbo

Two persons (a driver and a passenger) narrowly escaped being drowned on Saturday in Osogbo, when their Toyota Camry car plunged into the Osun River along Gbongan/Ibadan expressway.

The driver and a woman believed to be the owner of the car were said to have been trapped when the vehicle plunged into the river before the prompt intervention of local swimmers who rescued them from being drowned to death.

The incident which attracted the presence of those living around the vicinity, the passersby and road users, said to have occurred as a result of brake failure and carelessness on the part of the car’s driver.

Meanwhile, the said woman was said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital for proper medical attention while the driver was rescued unhurt.

Speaking on the incident, the senior Special Assistant to Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Special Duties, Mr Samson Owoyokun, who was on a spot assessment, told newsmen that, “the woman was rescued after being trapped for some minutes in her vehicle in the river”.

“The woman had, however, been taken to an undisclosed hospital for intensive treatment.”

According to the SSA, immediately after the incident occurred, a call was put across to the firefighters for her rescue.

In his own account, a middle-aged man identified as Adeyanju Adewale told our reporter that “the car skipped off the Gbodofon bridge into the Osun River in Osogbo and driver of the car was rescued by local swimmers around the place.”

He further explained that the driver of the car was coming from a nearby mechanic workshop and heading towards Olaiya Junction before he lost control of the vehicle”.

“Thank God the driver came out unhurt while no life was also lost in the accident,” he said. (Saturday Tribune)