Passers-by Rescue Person from Car Submerged in Lake Taupō
Passers-by in the Tauranga-Taupō area sprang into action to rescue a person from a car that crashed into Lake Taupō near Rawhira Rd. Nigel Ackerman, a witness from Palmerston North, recounted how he saw a grey ute veer off State Highway 1 and into the water while he was at a nearby rest stop.
A group of young men quickly jumped into the lake, pulled the driver out of the submerged car, and performed CPR on him. Emergency services were alerted to the incident by a 111 call reporting a medical event. The injured individual was airlifted to Waikato Hospital in critical condition by the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.
The crash, believed to be a single-vehicle incident, prompted a response from the Fire and Emergency NZ, St John Ambulance, and local police. The Serious Crash Unit was also called to investigate the scene.
Maryana Garcia, a multimedia reporter based in Hamilton, covered the breaking news story in Waikato. She has a background in journalism and has previously worked for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.