Car with five men plunges into sea, driver still missing

Out of the water: North Seberang Prai police together with Penang Police Marine
fishing out the car from the sea at the Bagan Dalam wharf in Butterworth.

BUTTERWORTH: A car with five men plunged into the sea after its occupants were believed to have mistaken the guard post at the Bagan Dalam wharf here for a toll booth.

Two of them were rescued by the port workers while the other two swam to safety at 12.45am yesterday.


However, the 24-year-old driver was still missing at press time.

It is believed that the driver had earlier stopped at the guard post and asked a security guard whether it was a toll booth and whether he needed to pay.

Although the security guard told him that it was the entrance to the Bagan Dalam wharf and not the toll booth, sources said the driver sped off and the vehicle plunged into the sea about 500m from the guard post.

At about noon, a search team found a body of a man in his 20s.

However, the four other occupants of the car were brought to identify the body and they confirmed it was not the missing driver.

North Seberang Prai Deputy OCPD Supt Shukri Awang confirmed the incident and said the four were found to be drunk when they were detained following the incident.

The case was being investigated under Section 447 of the Penal Code for trespassing.