PASIR MAS: Three friends were stranded in floodwaters at Pengkalan Telok, near the Rumah Pam Kampung Jejawi, yesterday after using the navigational app Waze to get to work.
The trio were rescued by personnel from the Pasir Mas Fire and Rescue Station around 8.30pm last night.
Rosmaini Ahmad, 43, said he had travelled from Alor Setar, Kedah, with his friends, Mohd Badawi Ramli, 41, and Lim Chee Wei, 28, to carry out electrical wiring work at a rice mill located in Kampung Tasek Berangan.
"This was our second visit to the mill, but Waze had shown us a different route previously. We used Waze again, not expecting it to take us to a road that was already flooded.
"We drove along the road at 5.30pm, crossing a 500-metre stretch of water. We thought the water level wasn't too high, but we were shocked when the lorry couldn't move as the floodwaters rose.
"In that tense moment, I called the emergency hotline, and they connected me to fire and rescue, who arrived to assist," he said.
Rosmaini said they had to abandon their lorry filled with work equipment, as the area had become surrounded by floodwaters.
"This is the first time we've experienced such a situation. However, I am very grateful to the officers who quickly came to our aid.
"We are now taking shelter at the rice mill while waiting for the floodwaters to recede before moving the lorry," he said.
Meanwhile, Pasir Mas Fire and Rescue Station chief Mohd Azmi Hussin said they received a call at 6.20pm and rushed to the scene.
"We arrived to find the three victims trapped in the lorry, surrounded by floodwaters. The victims were about 200 metres from the nearest dry land."
"We assisted to take all three victims to safety before handing them over to the police for further assistance," he said.