Couple’s car sinks in river
TWO tourists are counting their lucky stars after escaping through the windows of their car as it was swept off a bridge near Mossman yesterday.
Melbourne couple Clinton and Kerry-Ann Smith were trying to cross the Mossman River at Anich’s Bridge, on Finlayvale Rd, in the Nissan Pulsar when a “huge surge” of water took the vehicle off the road before 5.30pm yesterday.
“This big surge was unbelievable, Mr Smith said.
“It went from a couple of inches to two feet in a matter of moments.”
After the pair exited through the car’s windows, Mr Smith tried to manoeuvre the car to a standstill.
“Because the car was floating I thought I could try and steer it and jam it onto the pole,” he said.
“It seems comical, but I am still pretty emotional at the same time. You still feel responsible because you took on a rental.”
The couple were on a fiveday holiday in the Far North celebrating Mrs Smith’s birthday.
“In hindsight, I was fighting a losing battle from the start,” Mr Smith said.
“When you are there the adrenalin kicks in. It was a little bit scary.
“The water was starting to get to a point where I was worried I wouldn’t be able to swim across the current. “
The couple were taken back to nearby the Silky Oaks Lodge by tour guide Chris O’Dowd.
Lodge director Barbara Van Min said it was one of the “weirdest events ever”.
“It is something that happens every 10 years, but now we have had two in the past month,” she said.
“They called to say they were floating and we told them to get out of the car.”