Man jumps into falls in vain bid to save driver

Photo / Northern Advocate

A 23-year-old man tried in vain to save the life of a man whose car plunged off a bridge into the Whangarei Falls this afternoon.

The victim, believed to be in his late 40s or early 50s, died after the incident in the Whangarei suburb of Tikipunga about 2.50pm.

Frederick Chapman heard the crash from his house a few metres from the bridge.

"I was sitting on the patio having a smoke and I heard this big crash," he told NZPA.

"I told my partner that someone's crashed. I ran straight down, ran down and jumped straight down the water."

Mr Chapman said he swum about 20m to get to the man, the sole occupant in the car, out of the vehicle and pulled him out of the water.

"My neighbour Ali gave him CPR. We had him there for a few minutes, then he went out of consciousness.

"We brought him back about three times and then got him back on to dry land. We were told he was gone soon afterwards."

Mr Chapman said the man looked straight at him before taking his last breath, something he said was not easy.

"I've still got his face on my mind."

Mr Chapman said he was later told the man may have had a heart attack before the car plunged off the bridge as it was swerving wildly on the road.

He said it wasn't the first time a family member had tried to rescue someone in a car which got into the water, a drop he said was about four car lengths.

About 18 months ago his father, Marsh Allen, made an unsuccessful similar attempt to pull someone from a car which plunged off the bridge into the falls.

Mr Chapman said he didn't think twice about trying to rescue the man.

"I had no hesitation. I just wanted to get him out."

The name of the victim has yet to be released.

- NZPA