Chennai: A car carrying a Coast Guard sailor (navik) and a driver plunged into 85ft-deep water at Chennai harbour. The sailor managed to swim to safety but the driver is missing, and fire service personnel are still searching for him.
Police said the accident happened when driver Mohammed Shahi, 33, of Kodungaiyur, was reversing the vehicle inside Chennai Port. As there is no parapet wall, Shahi lost control of the vehicle, and it plunged into the water.
The incident occurred when he was driving the sailor, Jogendra Kanda, from the port to Jawahar Dock-5 on Tuesday night.
Jogendra, who was trapped inside the vehicle, managed to break the windshield and swim to safety. He fainted on reaching the shore. However, Shahi remained trapped in the vehicle as it sank.
A rescue team comprising more than 30 Coast Guard personnel, 20 firefighters, scuba divers and the port police arrived at the scene to locate the submerged vehicle and driver. The search operation continued for more than two hours. The vehicle was finally pulled out, but they are yet to find Shahi.
Jogendra, meanwhile, was taken to the Army Hospital in St Thomas Mount in an ambulance.
