HERE, BUT NO FURTHER: This reader photo, taken by a passer-by, shows the small Mitsubishi stuck in the water pond. Now the video of the waterproof car has gone viral. Photo: Reader photo
(ITROMSØ/VG) Kristina Aiko and her driver friend realized too late that the little Mitsubishi had no chance of driving through the water pond that flooded Tromsø on Monday.
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Less than 20 minutes ago
- Tromsø experienced heavy rain on Monday, which led to large pools of water
- Kristina Aikio and a friend drove a small Mitsubishi in such a pool of water and the engine stopped
- The car went viral on social media after the incident
- The two were stuck in the car for approx. an hour and a half before the police came to help
- Police officer Marius Nilsen says that there was more car recovery than police work that day
Sea view
– We were going to Krav Maga (Israeli combat training), and had chosen to drive the Tversverbindelsen The Tververbindelsen The stretch of road between Giæverbukta and Breivika is known as the Tververbindelsen. to get there. So we chatted and chatted while we were driving, and before long we were out in a large pool of water, says Kristina Aikio.
She was a passenger in the small Mitsubishi Colten, which after Monday’s storm has gone viral on social media.
The torrential rain led to several large water ponds in Tromsø.
The driver himself does not want to come forward with his name and photo, but thinks it’s all funny, even if the car now needs to be repaired. Aikio thinks so too.
– Oh my goodness, it’s us, she exclaims when she sees the video for the first time.
– It’s funny that the car has gone viral, even if he poor driver probably knows a little more about it than I do. I was just a little annoyed because we missed our training, says Aikio and laughs.
Totally dead
The last thing Aikio managed to do before the engine ran into ice water was to come up with what can be called “the famous last words”.
– There was a lot of water there, and I have never experienced that amount there before. I also said that just before we drove out into the pond: “Oi, I’ve never seen so much water here before”. Then we drove out, and sure enough the car stopped there.
Water must have come over the hood, and then ended up straight into the engine. And it was enough to kill the little Japanese car.
After some valiant attempts to start the car again, they eventually had to admit defeat. Then the job began to find someone who could save them. It would turn out not to be easy either.
See video from one of the passing motorists here:
Long waiting time
– We both started calling around to the various salvage companies, to find someone who could come and save us. Viking were the first to respond, but then we got to someone sitting in an office down in Oslo. There we were given a payment link, and it was explained that when we had paid, someone would come to help us, with a minimum waiting time of two hours.
They both think it was a lot to pay and a long time to wait, and while they were stuck and considering their options, they decided to call the police.
– We really just wanted to say that we were stuck there. There is quite a lot of traffic along the road, and we were right in the middle of it. Traffic, buses and all kinds of other things drive by, so it might not be a good idea to stand there. We also informed them that we had called Viking, but that they had a long waiting time.
Aikio reckons that they were sitting in the car in the water pond for about an hour and a half, before they got help from an unexpected quarter.
Rescuers
After watching car after car pass, suddenly there was a rap on the window. There was a police officer with a long stick, wondering if they needed help.
– Three officers had turned up with a large car to rescue us. They got us towed out of the water and over to Jekta.
Aikio greatly appreciates that the police took the time to rescue them, amidst the mild weather chaos that characterized the entire city on Monday.
– It was really great that they could come and help us, that they came and did something like that. Because it started to get quite cold out there after a while, she says, laughing.
SNODIG: Tromsø was plagued by storms on Monday afternoon. Due to deep water, and the fact that the plates are not screwed down on newer car models, the water has caused several license plates to come loose. Photo: VG reader
Unusual day
Marius Nilsen, the police officer who rescued the two friends, says that Monday was a day completely out of the ordinary.
– I think we had to tow three cars out of puddles that day, and it was probably more car recovery than police work that day, he says, laughing.
He thinks it’s nice to hear that the passengers in the Colten were doing well, and that they appreciated the help they received.
– Getting positive recognition for the work we do gives us motivation. So it’s always good to have good news and recognition.
But the good deed came with a price, which Nilsen probably felt for the rest of the shift.
– I got really wet on my feet, because I was standing in water up to my knees out there in Giæverbukta. So the work shoes have been left to dry for a few days now, says the officer with a good laugh.
Published:
Published: 13.01.24 at 23:19
2024-01-13 22:19:27
#Suddenly #stuck #lake #water
