Firefighters rescue scooter driver from icy water in central Fresno

The driver of an electric scooter was rescued from a Fresno canal near Manchester shopping center Tuesday morning after he lost control of the vehicle and plunged down a steep embankment into cold, snow-melted water.

He was trapped for about one-half hour in the water until a passerby noticed him and called authorities about 11 a.m., according to Fresno Fire Department spokesman Hector Vasquez.

The accident took place on a canal directly across from the south side of the shopping center. It appeared the man was attempting to wheel the cart between shrubbery and the edge of a narrow pathway. He tumbled about 15 feet into the water, sustaining cuts on his head from the rough concrete that lines the canal bank.

Vasquez said it appeared that the man was not seriously injured and did not appear to be in danger from hypothermia from the cold water.

This story was originally published February 28, 2017 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Firefighters rescue scooter driver from icy water in central Fresno."