A car load of people had a “very lucky” escape after their vehicle plunged 25m down a bank into a river near Thames.

Fire and Emergency crews responded to the crash in the Kauaeranga Valley about 5.10pm yesterday.

The vehicle had landed upside down, submerged in water.

“On arrival we discovered that five (VERY lucky) occupants of the vehicle that had careered down a 25-metre bank had extricated themselves from the upside-down, submerged car with the assistance of some locals,” the Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade wrote on Facebook.

Firefighters helped perform first aid alongside St John before setting up a landing zone for the Westpac Waikato Rescue Helicopter.

Chopper crews then winched three of the five patients to safety and where St John staff could treat them.

A St John spokesman confirmed they had four patients with one being airlifted to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries.

Two others had moderate injuries and another had minor injuries and were taken to Thames Hospital by ambulance.

Call#258 17:11 20/12/2020
We responded this afternoon to reports of a car down a bank up the Kaueranga Valley.
On…

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