Waikato University to conduct investigation after visitor reverses car into Hamilton campus pond

A woman who accidentally reversed her car into a pond on the University of Waikato’s Hamilton campus was not injured, a university spokesperson said.

The visitor “accidentally reversed their car” into Chapel Lake on Tuesday morning.

One student and members of the university’s security team rushed to the driver’s aid and freed the woman from the car.

“The driver did not sustain any injuries and was taken home after the incident,” the spokesperson told the Waikato Herald.

UniSafe team members and the student acted “quickly”.

The car has since been towed from the lake.

“The university will conduct a thorough internal investigation to understand how this occurred and whether any preventive action needs to be taken,” the spokesperson said.

Video of the incident and photos of the submerged car have appeared on social media.

One video shows a young person in a T-shirt standing in the water next to the Toyota hatchback, which has its windows rolled down.

People expressed surprise and confusion in comments as to why the car ended up in the water.

“How on earth did the car get in there?” one comment on the video said. Another asked, “How the heck did that happen?”

“There’s never enough carparks there,” a third comment said.

“Hope the person is okay.”

Police and ambulance services did not have a record of being called to the incident.

Students and passers-by were surprised to see a car partly submerged in one of the University of Waikato's ponds.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.