Car plunges into river from Highway 4 in Sodankylä, passersby rescue driver

A passenger car veered off Highway 4 and into the Kitinen River near Sattanen village in Sodankylä on Saturday morning, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports. Bystanders pulled the driver—a woman—and her dog from the sinking vehicle before emergency crews arrived.

Emergency services received an alert about the incident at approximately 10:20 AM. According to the report, three men smashed the rear window of the submerged car, allowing the dog to escape. One of the men then spotted the woman’s hand inside the vehicle and pulled her out through the broken window. The car subsequently sank completely.

The cause of the vehicle leaving the road remains unknown, according to rescue authorities. A rescue helicopter and five ground units from Sodankylä responded to the scene but arrived after the driver had already been extracted.