Brave passers-by jump into lake to rescue pensioner from sinking car

A pensioner had a lucky escape when he accidentally drove his car into a lake.

The man, in his 70s, was saved by brave passers-by who jumped in to rescue him and his dog moments before the vehicle sank.

Dramatic pictures showed the rescuers trying to break the glass window of the car in a bid to open the driver's side door.

But when they could not prise it open they managed to open the back door and pull the man out as the car was about to be swallowed up.

Eventually the passers-by managed to get the pensioner out of the car before it sank. Credit: SWNS

The elderly man was helped to the edge of the lake by the three rescuers. Credit: SWNS

Onlooker Alex Kerr witnessed the event in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire unfold from a nearby cafe.

She said that she was sitting having a coffee with her family when she "heard a big crunch noise".

She added: "As soon as they realised they jumped straight in to help him, they were great.

"They couldn't get the door open so they tried to break the windows as it was going down and then they managed to open the back door.

"As soon as that door open it started to go down quickly but they managed to get him out and all that ended up showing of the car was the open boot."

The rescued man was taken to hospital but is said to be relatively uninjured.