KOTA TINGGI: The man who jumped into a monsoon drain to save a woman from being swept away by strong currents along with her car that skidded into it has been hailed a hero.
Choo Ngiam Choong, 50, said he didn't hesitate to leap over the guardrail in an attempt to save the woman.
"I didn't think twice and immediately jumped in to save the woman after seeing her being swept away by the strong current, " Choo said, describing the moment he made the reflexive decision.
A viral video of Choo's heroic efforts captured the tense moments, showing his daring leap into the drain with the strong current near Jalan Bukit Samsu on the Kota Tinggi-Mersing road, before assisting in the rescue of the at-risk victim.
Recalling the incident, he said, at around 8am, he was on his way for breakfast from Kota Tinggi to Mawai when he stopped his vehicle upon seeing his friend stopping his car ahead of him.
He was shocked to find a car being swept into the drain, with two women being carried away by the strong current.
"One woman managed to save herself, while the other was being swept away... considering the risk of drowning, I immediately jumped in to reach the woman, and several other friends did too, as passersby at the scene also assisted.
"I am grateful and very happy to have saved the woman within about five seconds to prevent any unfortunate incident," he said.
The 10th child among 12 siblings from Kota Tinggi mentioned that he is thankful not to have suffered any injuries while helping the victim.
"I am good at swimming and have navigated hilly and challenging areas before.
"I'm thankful I have the stamina to assist the victim.
"Money can still be earned, but if a life is lost, there's no replacement," he said when contacted.
Earlier, a viral video showed a Perodua Myvi being carried away by the current with a woman clinging to the back of the vehicle, shouting for help.