A TEENAGER was at the centre of a dramatic rescue last night when his car burst through railings and plunged into a Hampshire river.

The 18-year-old was driving a silver Fiat Punto which crashed through a large stretch of railings leaving the front end submerged in water.

Neighbours heard the crash and alerted the emergency services.

Resident Julie Robertson was in bed when she heard “a massive bang” outside her house and looked out of the window to see a car submerged in water.

The car, was perilously hanging over the edge of the riverbank, having ploughed through railings and dived nose-first into four foot of flowing water in Bishopstoke at around 11.45pm.

Julie said: “I looked out and thought 'oh my god' and just picked up the phone and called 999.

“I told them to send every emergency service and then ran outside with the phone. My neighbours had also heard the noise and had come out, and one man had already called for an ambulance.

“Within minutes there were people at the scene but there were four of us there first. We could see the lad inside was moving and he managed to speak a couple of times but he didn't say much.

“We were asking him if he was alright and we could see the water was up to his chest. Thankfully it didn't appear to keep coming in unless he moved.”

Julie, who lives in Montagu Road, overlooking where the silver car had left Fair Oak Road near to the Toby Carvery.

She added: “We could see he was ok otherwise we would have gone into the water to help, but the police arrived quickly and began talking to him.

“They got him to climb over the seats to the back of the car and got him out that way.

“Part of the railings had gone into the water with him, they were caught on the front of the car.”

The young man who was from Basingstoke, was treated by paramedics at the scene and is thought to have gone into shock.

He was taken to hospital for further treatment early this morning.

The cause of the accident is now under investigation by Eastleigh Police. Anyone with information should call 101.

Steve Duffield, 45, from Montague Road, Bishopstoke, said: "I heard the bang and I came out while he was still in the car.

"The other neighbours had called the police. He was able to talk and we were waiting for the emergency services.

"He was relatively calmly sitting there, watching as the water level was rising. I'm sure he was in shock and very cold.

"The nose of the car was down in the water with the back of the car still on the ledge. He was facing downwards. I could see the top half of his legs were under the water.

"When the police arrived they opened the boot and he was able to scramble out of the back.

"The ambulance dealt with him by the side of the road. He didn't seemed badly injured but he was dazed and confused."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "We heard a bang and looked out the window and the neighbours were already out there.

"About ten years ago the same thing happened but the car ended up right in the corner of the river.

"Someone died in that accident and there are always flowers on every anniversary."