Praise for officer who freed motorist in freezing water

A Tauranga police officer who climbed into an upturned car to help free a man trapped up to his chin in freezing water has been praised for his actions.

The 41-year-old constable, who did not want to be named, was told late on Friday that a car had flipped into a ditch near Te Maunga roundabout on SH2, about 8km southeast of Mt Maunganui.

"We could see the car upside down and submerged," the constable said yesterday. "I bowled straight down. We had to try and find a way into the car."

The officer managed to get in through the back door and reassured the 39-year-old driver.

"He was just saying how cold he was. He couldn't feel his legs. He was pretty much saying he didn't want to die."

The driver's legs were trapped and he was up to his chin in water. The water was also up to the constable's neck.

"It was very cold," he said.

He was able to free the driver's legs after several attempts, some of which required him to duck underwater. After firefighters cut the car door off the officer was able to pull the man to safety.

Western Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Murray Lewis praised the constable's actions.

"It's good to see our staff responding well to these type of situations."

The driver was taken to Tauranga Hospital with hypothermia and minor cuts and bruising.