Rescuers save one from fatal river crash

Megan Brooker (left) and Michael Lord at the scene of Saturday's crash into the Avon River. Picture / Simon Baker

After a night out celebrating the Canterbury surf lifesaving awards, Megan Brooker didn't expect to have to put her skills into practice so soon.

The 21-year-old volunteer lifesaver was among a group of people, including two off-duty police officers, involved in the rescue of two men whose car had crashed and flipped into the Avon River early on Saturday morning.

The accident, in which the car was almost fully submerged, left one man dead and another in critical condition last night in Christchurch Hospital.

The dead man was Daniel Herbert McIlroy, 19, of Christchurch.

Ms Brooker and fellow lifesaver Michael Lord were travelling home along New Brighton Rd about 2am. They stopped when they saw two men being dragged from the car by passing motorists and police officers Marty Stiles and Dominic Robinson.

"This is the first time I have done CPR. It was pretty full-on but we have been trained to do it so we did what we could do best," Ms Brooker said.

While another surf lifesaver tried to resuscitate Mr McIlroy, the pair worked on his friend. "He wasn't in good shape. We couldn't see any life in him ... but then he started gurgling."

Rescuer Tama Wilson, who spent about 20 minutes in the river diving repeatedly under the water trying to free the men, suffered mild hypothermia.

He said adrenalin kicked in and he was just glad to help out.

"I thought they were dead. They were in there such a long time we thought they had no chance.

Mr Stiles praised the actions of all those involved. "It was very cold and it was pitch black ... Tama put himself on the line." He had to be treated for hypothermia.

It was good to see young people pulling up and helping out when they didn't know the people involved.

Police said it was too early to say if anyone would face charges.