Quick instincts can be the difference between life and
death, as shown in this video of a Ford Fiesta
RS
World Rally Car plunging into a reservoir during this week's Rally Mexico
event.
M-Sport driver Ott Tanak and co-driver Raigo Molder veered
off the dirt road earlier this morning, less than two miles into the 6.2-mile Los
Mexicanos stage, with the Fiesta tumbling into the water and completely
submerging in just a matter of seconds.
The pair quickly unbuckled their seatbelts and opened the
doors once the first drops of water hit the windshield, and Molder even had the
presence of mind to grab the pace notes before scrambling out. Though shaken,
the duo emerged unharmed.
A consummate professional: The first thing co-driver Raigo
did returning to the hotel was to lay out the pace notes …
Initially the fate of the Ford was a mystery, as officials
lost all radio and GPS contact when the hatchback sank into the reservoir; the
pair's cell phones were also broken due to their submerging. Other racers
reported that Tanak's crashed car had seemingly vanished, so series officials
launched a helicopter to begin the search. After that was unsuccessful, the
stage was halted.
In all, it took a reported 17 minutes to locate Tanak and
Molder and determine that the pair were uninjured. Team boss Malcolm Wilson
stated that the news of their safety was pure relief, noting they had realized
communication with the car was lost right where the reservoir was located. From
there, the team had feared the worst.
“We are both feeling better now after a hot shower," said
Tanak on his Twitter account. "Thanks to everyone for messages of
support.” Even after this brush with death, the Estonian driver hopes to jump
back in the car tomorrow (once it's recovered) and finish the race –
aiming to shed his new nickname, Titanak.
source: Motoramic
by Aki Sugawara
http://www.fzrestoration.com
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