KOTA KINABALU, May 9 -- A car ended up in a sewage pond after its 49-year-old driver accidentally swerved off the road into the roadside water catchment near Kingfisher Park early this morning.

The driver of the Perodua Viva and his 79-year-old mother, were trapped at first but managed to clamber out of the wade and wade to safety with the help of passers-by using a long branch.

One of the passers by was an off-duty fireman who saw them as he drove by, and got into the pond and assisted the victims to safety and also attached a cable to the vehicle for towing later.

Lintas Fire and Rescue Department station chief Agustavia Joe Guasi said both victims were safe.

"The off-duty fireman, Hasrulnizam Zain, had assisted the victims by holdi...