Man caught after stealing car from owner busy rescuing drowning woman

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Published time: June 21, 2012 14:44
Edited time: June 21, 2012 18:44

Police have arrested a man suspected of stealing a car whilst its owner rushed to save a couple drowning in the Moscow River.

­The hero of the hour had leaped out of his Audi Q7 after seeing a Volvo fall into the water with two people trapped inside.

The thief was detained by police in the south of the capital late on Wednesday night along with the stolen Audi.

According to officers, the suspect had been convicted of robbery twice before, in 2001 and 2006.

The driver of the Audi Q7 did not hesitate to leap to the rescue of those caught inside the sinking vehicle after it lost control and came off the road.

He helped a young woman struggle free of the car, but did not manage to rescue her husband, who drowned in the Volvo.

In the heat of the moment, the rescuer left his car unlocked and with the keys in the ignition, at which point the opportunistic thief took his chance to steal away with the unattended Audi.