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A driver and passenger were saved after their Tesla plunged into the icy waters of a Norwegian fjord by unlikely rescuers: a group relaxing on a floating sauna.
The Tesla driver “accidentally hit the gas,” sending the car flying into the frigid waters off of Oslo earlier this week, witnesses told SWNS.
Witnesses said the car quickly began to sink, with the two occupants “screaming” for help.
A video clip of the ordeal obtained by Agence France-Presse shows the Tesla submerged in the water, with the pair sitting on the roof.
Local Vladislav Nikiforov, 51, believes the couple were there to watch the sunset.
“The driver said he forgot to put it in parking and he pushed the gas – I don’t know why,” he told SWNS.
He said the car “jumped” over a barrier in front of the water before it quickly sank under the surf. Soon, the man and woman were treading in the freezing fjord.
“They had to swim. It’s incredibly cold, icy water,” Nikiforov, an environmental NGO worker, said.
Fortunately, the terrified motorists were only in the water for a few minutes before they were able to get onto the sauna.
“I don’t think people could hold there more than five minutes in this water, especially with clothes on,” he added. It was very good luck this floating sauna was nearby.”
The sauna boat happened to drift by soon after the Tesla ended up in the water, Oslo police said.
Photos show people on the vessel with towels around their waists pulling the passengers out of the water.
“One of the guests came running and told me a car had landed in the water. I accelerated to full speed in the direction of the people,” the sauna boat’s skipper, Nicholay Nordahl, told Norwegian newspaper VG.
“With the help of two guests, we pulled them up. They were able to warm up in the sauna,” he added.
“They saved our lives,” the owner of the car, who was not identified, told VG.
Floating saunas are a popular tourist attraction that are available for hire along the fjord, according to CBS News. The boats can fit up to 10 people on board at a time.
Authorities later pulled the Tesla out of the water.
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Abhinav Thawait is a globe-trotting correspondent with a passion for international affairs. With a background in international relations, he offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues around the world. Abhinav’s curiosity takes his to the far corners of the earth, where he seeks to share untold stories and diverse viewpoints.
