The driver and passenger were rescued by unlikely rescuers after a Tesla plunged into the icy waters of a Norwegian fjord. The group was relaxing in the floating sauna.
Witnesses told SWNS that a Tesla driver “accidentally stepped on the accelerator” earlier this week, sending the car flying into frigid waters off the coast of Oslo.
Witnesses said the car immediately began to sink and the two occupants were “screaming” for help.
A video clip of the ordeal obtained by Agence France-Presse shows the Tesla submerged in water and two people sitting on the roof.
Local Vladislav Nikiforov, 51, believes the couple were there to watch the sunset.
“The driver said he forgot to put the car in park and stepped on the gas pedal, but we don’t know why,” he told SWNS.
He said the car “jumped” over the fence in front of the waves and immediately sank beneath the waves. Soon, the men and women were trampling across the frozen fjord.
“They had to swim in incredibly cold, icy water,” said Nikiforov, an environmental NGO worker.
Fortunately, the frightened driver was only in the water for a few minutes and was able to enter the sauna.
“I don’t think it’s possible to stay in this water for more than five minutes, especially with clothes on,” he added. We were really lucky to have this floating sauna nearby. ”
Just after the Tesla fell into the ocean, a sauna boat happened to pass by. This was announced by Oslo police..
Photos showed people on board with towels wrapped around their waists pulling passengers out of the water.
“One of the guests came running and said that the car had fallen into the water. I accelerated at full speed in the direction where the people were,” said Nikolai Nordahl, the captain of the sauna boat. He told the Norwegian newspaper VG..
“We pulled it up with the help of two guests. They were able to warm up in the sauna,” he added.
“They saved our lives,” the car owner told VG on condition of anonymity.
Floating saunas are a popular tourist attraction that can be rented along the fjord. According to CBS News. The boat can accommodate up to 10 people at a time.
Authorities then pulled the Tesla from the water.
