Truck driver hailed a hero

A truck driver was hailed as a hero on social media on Thursday after he is said to have entered the waters in a swamp near the Caroni Bird Sanctuary to rescue a driver who became trapped in a car which ended up on its in the swamp during the early morning hours.

A post shared to several WhatsApp chat groups identified the driver who Newsday is not naming since we were unable to independently identify him as the driver. He is described in the post as working for a local contracting company which is well-known for road-paving and highway construction.

The post claimed that firemen were already on the scene but they refused to enter the swamp even as the overturned car was partially submerged.

The accident happened at around 1 am on Thursday when the car skidded off the roadway and into the swamp.

The man who was said to be on his way to work remained trapped inside the car for an hour. He was subsequently assisted by the truck driver and was later taken to hospital for treatment.

Several unflattering comments about the conduct of the firemen were posted by people who commented on the initial post.