Istanbul locals save tourist's car from plunging into river

A group of quick-thinking locals are being hailed for saving a tourist’s rental car from a watery grave in central Istanbul. The foreigner’s holiday would have been ruined if the group didn't stop the car from rolling backwards into the Bosphorus strait, the Turkish waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea.

Having parked the car near the river while visiting a museum in the Besiktas district in the European side of Istanbul, the tourist forgot to secure the handbrake before leaving. According to reports, the car began to slowly roll backwards towards the sea. That's when spectators immediately took action by jumping onto the hood of the car, preventing the vehicle from falling into strait.

Reports suggest, four men perched on the car as the back of the vehicle hovered dangerously over the riverside. The locals passed the time smoking and checking their mobile phones till the fire department arrived at the scene with a crane to pull the car back to safety.

Meanwhile, police officers searched the museum for the tourist, who reportedly panicked when he heard about the incident.