Bouncy youngsters raise burst water main alarm
PLAYING on a trampoline suddenly became much more exciting than expected for three Wingatui youngsters yesterday when a nearby water main burst, firing a spectacular jet of water more than 10m into the air.
Playing on the trampoline gave friends Samantha Gaston, Crystal Darling and Maleena Taia — all aged 12 and all pupils at Taieri College — a particularly good vantage point to spot the water jet, and they rushed across a bridge over the railway line to reach the Gladstone Rd scene.
‘‘When we jumped we could see it better,’’ Crystal said.
‘‘It was getting bigger and bigger.’’
Crystal, who lives at the nearby property with the trampoline, was first to see the jet, and Samantha then used her cellphone to alert the Fire Service, at 5.02pm.
A Mosgiel fire appliance and a police car attended, and Dunedin City Council contractor City Care swiftly repaired the damaged main.
A broken cover plate had fallen into the access hole, damaging water piping equipment and causing the spout.
The three friends are familiar with the spot where the spout occurred, because it is close to the bus stop where they had earlier arrived after school.
‘‘We’ve never ever seen anything like this,’’ Maleena said, adding it was a ‘‘wonderful’’ sight.
‘‘It was just overwhelming,’’ Samantha said.
john.gibb@odt.co.nz