Rescuers' desperate attempts to save 7-year-old killed in Canterbury river crash

Jurael Bennett died at the scene of the accident on Sunday. Photo / Givealittle

Rescuers spent 40 minutes trying to save the life of a 7-year-old boy who died when the 4WD vehicle he was in crashed in the Waipara River near Amberley on Queen's Birthday weekend.

North Canterbury emergency services were alerted to the accident at 5.35pm on Sunday where it was understood a vehicle went off the road and plunged into the river below.

Three people were involved in the accident, including 7-year-old Jurael Tutere Paul Jeffrey Bennett from Christchurch, who died at the scene.

The Canterbury Westpac Rescue Helicopter sped to the crash scene, 40km north of Christchurch, and used night-vision goggles to find their way in the dark and to the accident site.

On board was Rick Knight, crew chief, and Critical Care Paramedic.

Police, Fire and Emergency and St John Ambulance were at the river when they landed nearby.

Jurael who was in the back seat of the rolled vehicle had already been freed from the crashed 4WD and dragged to the shore.

Rick Knight, Westpac Rescue Critical Care Paramedic . Photo / Supplied

A group of friends known to the family was travelling behind them when the incident happened, and one of them managed to get the boy out, he said.

Firefighters helped to assist getting the youngster onto a tyre that was found lying on the river bank.

Jurael was then placed in the back of an ambulance, his clothes were cut away so paramedics could treat him, Knight said.

It was all hands on deck as the crew joined in the resuscitation effort.

The vehicle Jurael was in submerged in the Waipara River in Canterbury. Photo / George Heard

"His heart was going at the start but he was just so full of water.

"He was obviously trapped for quite a while in the water."

Knight said after 40 minutes, resuscitation efforts were stopped as there were no signs of life.

The full details of exactly what happened that night are not known.

Jurael's mother, Tash Tuuta, managed to escape. Both adults were also treated by ambulance staff.

Knight said there was a bridge to cross the river 100m down from where the vehicle was.

Paramedics tried desperately to save 7-year-old Jurael. Photo / Givealittle

Once the scene was cleared and it was just emergency services staff left, St John peer support workers led a debrief for the group.

"We all got together as a big group on the fire trucks. We spoke to each other about how we were feeling and how we thought the job went.

"It was a good way for everybody to post-brief over the whole thing. There was quite a few staff there who were pretty upset."

A funeral for Jurael will be held at the Elite Fight Complex in Christchurch at 2pm on Friday.

A Givealittle page has been set up to raise funds for funeral costs and to support the family.

Flowers placed near the scene of the incident in Amberley. Photo / George Heard