Miss Universe NZ 2017 helps save family on route to hand over crown

Miss Universe New Zealand 2017 Harlem-Cruz Ihaia with partner Codee Broughton saved a family last week. Photo/Supplied.

Miss Universe New Zealand 2017 winner, Harlem-Cruz Ihaia diverted traffic, while her partner, Codee Broughton helped rescue a family who had crashed down a bank.

It was her last official act as Miss Universe New Zealand before she handed over her crown - albeit unplanned.

Last Thursday, the Hawke's Bay woman, Broughton and two friends were on their way to the Miss Universe New Zealand 2018 grand final in Auckland, when they came across an accident on the Napier-Taupo highway, just north of the intersection with Pohokura Rd.

A 2-year-old girl, 5-year-old boy, their mother and grandmother had fallen off the bank in their 4WD. "It was upside down and all crushed. Water was gushing through the car and people were trapped. I thought they were going to drown," Ihaia said.

"When I saw it we were worried for the people in the car and we were hoping no one was hurt, so we kept asking 'is everyone alright?"

They believed they were the second car on the scene and Broughton's first instinct was to rush to the family's aid. "I was just freaking out. I didn't know what to expect."

"They were all bloody and the nan and the 5-year-old were standing out the window waiting to get out."

Broughton joined in the rescue effort with a truck driver and linked arms in the river so the current didn't pull them out. They tied ropes around the people and then hoisted them up the bank.

"It was too steep so we had to find rope and pull the victims from the car and onto the road."

Another helper who was one of the first on the scene said the accident victims were lucky to have multiple people to help, including a nurse administering First Aid until paramedics arrived.

"The real hero is actually the mother who, after crashing her car, injured and in a state of shock, managed to climb up the steep gorse-covered bank on her own and raise the alarm to save the lives of her children and her mother."

"It was definitely a very frightening scene to come across and thank goodness everybody was rescued safely."

Ihaia was warning the traffic to slow down and then stayed with the family until the ambulance and police arrived, almost an hour later.

The grandmother had a gash on her face and they suspected she had injuries to her shoulders and ribs.

"The baby was in shock and wasn't talking so that was freaking us out. Her eyes kept rolling back and we didn't know what to do until the ambulance got there. The little boy was screaming for his mum and saying that he didn't want his family to die and he was scared for his little sister. He was really traumatised."

She was meant to be going out to dinner that evening. "I was about three hours behind, but I didn't really care about the dinner when I saw the crash, I just thought everybody would understand."

A St Johns Ambulance spokeswoman said they were called at 4.41pm and arrived on the scene at 5.26pm.

She said three people had minor injuries, while one had moderate injuries. They were taken to Taupo Hospital to be treated.