A woman's efforts to get to work almost ended in disaster this morning when she and her car were swept away by floodwater after the Kakanui River in North Otago burst its banks at the Five Forks bridge.
Emergency services were notified by a passerby who saw her on the roof of her car in the water.
The flood proved too tough for a four wheel drive tractor to reach her but, after about two hours huddled on the roof of her car, a digger managed to get out to her car and she scrambled into the bucket helped by Oamaru Police Sergeant Peter Muldrew.
About 11am, Roda Inez Carlene Davidson, from Fuchsia Creek, had crossed the bridge and drove into floodwaters on the way to her job at Oamaru KFC.
Misjudging the depth and speed of the water crossing the road north of the bridge, her car was swept downstream but, fortunately, got caught in a fence.
About 11.51am, police, two fire units from Weston and Oamaru, St John and local farmers had arrived to help.
A four wheel drive tractor started out to reach her, but the water was too strong and deep for it to get off the road and close to the car.
Meanwhile, water continued to rise with the Kakanui River hitting a peak of almost 600 cumecs just upstream at Clifton Falls. The fence was also shifting slightly as time went by.
The decision was then made by rescuers to bring in the 14-tonne digger driven by local farmer Robert Borst. As back-up, contractor Tim Walton brought out his jet-boat and the Otago regional Rescue helicopter was on its way.
The digger went out to test the road and water, then returned to pick up Sgt Muldrew to go in the bucket to help the woman. They had to be careful not to touch power lines above the car which, although they had been shut down, could not be guaranteed not to be live.
Mr Borst said the digger, when it got to the car, was almost at its maximum depth to operate in water. He managed to get close enough to get the bucket out to the car at almost full extension.
Mr Muldrew said Mrs Davidson started to stand on the roof, but he told her to crawl over. After sitting in heavy rain and a strong, cold wind for about two hours, she had difficulty getting into the bucket.
"I told her to lean over as far as possible and then I helped her to roll in," he said.
Just as she got in the bucket the helicopter arrived as back-up rescue, but was not needed.
After Mrs Davidson was rescued, she was helped to a St John Ambulance where she was treated for hypothermia and then taken to Oamaru Hospital where she was also treated then discharged.
Her husband Brian was unaware of the drama and did not hear about his wife's mishap for about four hours until she was in hospital.
He was cut-off by flood waters and could not get to Oamaru to bring her home, so she was staying with friends.
"She's been through that way before when it has been flooding, but I guess the road may have been swept away or the water was too fast this time," he said.
Mrs Davidson was grateful to her rescuers and expressed her thanks. but did not want to comment further.
