Four-wheel-drivers rescued
Mark Nicholl thought he was ‘‘buggered’’.
His four-wheel-drive was rapidly sinking in Canterbury’s Ashley River, his daughter was in tears suffering a panic attack, and his son’s 4WD was also submerged in water.
Nicholl had been four-wheeldriving with six others during most of Saturday when he decided to cross the river again about 5pm, followed by his son who was also driving a 4WD.
‘‘It was starting to get a wee bit dark so I thought we could cross there, I couldn’t really tell where I was going and we crossed the river in the wrong spot.
‘‘We were floating, it got a bit deep and we couldn’t get out the other side.’’
His vehicle was submerged within seconds.
‘‘It was all underwater, the water was up to the windows. I thought we were buggered.
‘‘We had to get out in a hurry. We climbed out the windows and got onto the bank, which was quite hard because it was steep.’’
Once on the bank, which he said was more like an island, the group were stranded, unable to cross the river.
‘‘We couldn’t do anything. We couldn’t get back to where our other vehicles were, then it got dark and it started raining. It was freezing and we were all wet.
‘‘One minute you’re having fun and the next you’re thinking, ‘s…’.’’
The group waited on the bank for about three hours until emergency services arrived. Fire crews from Woodend assisted police and Coastguard to help the group to safety.
Nicholl returned to the river on Sunday to retrieve the 4WDs. In daylight, he could see they had tried to cross the river in the wrong spot.
‘‘It was just starting to get dark so your vision wasn’t as good. You’re racing along, you’ve got to get through pretty quick – you don’t always get time to decide when you’re crossing.’’
He said he was grateful for the assistance from emergency services and had donated $100 to Coastguard.
Firefighter Richard Davies said the group, who were ‘‘bordering on hypothermia’’, were rescued thanks to a ‘‘joint effort’’ by emergency services.
‘‘It’s probably a timely reminder that you never know how quickly the conditions can change especially at this time of year.
‘‘It’s just gone dark, getting yourself into that situation is probably a bit foolhardy in my opinion.’’
Davies said four-wheel-drivers needed to be prepared for the conditions.
‘‘If you want to go and play those games then you’ve got to organise yourselves a wee bit better. It’s a bit of a frustrating burden on time, money and resource for emergency services.’’
A police spokeswoman said anyone who headed into the ‘‘great outdoors’’ did so at their own risk.
‘‘While you may know a particular area well, you are still at the mercy of the conditions and the weather, which can change in an instant.
‘‘We would ask anyone who is unsure about whether to proceed with their outdoor plans to consider postponing or changing them, to avoid putting themselves or others at unnecessary risk.’’