4WD community come to the rescue of fellow driver

A 4WD got stuck in the Waimakariri river last weekend (Facebook)
A 4WD got stuck in the Waimakariri river last weekend (Facebook)

Video has emerged of a daring rescue of a stranded 4WD that was stuck and submerged in the Waimakariri River near Christchurch over the weekend.

A recreational vehicle was trying to move across the river and got stuck in the water before the river levels rose dragging the vehicle in and spinning it around. 

Rescuer Nick Rule said the drivers tried to wait out the situation.

"They've wound up the windows to see if they could ride it out," he says.

"And then realised they couldn't ride it out. They've wound down their windows again and climbed out and just ditched the vehicle."

Mr Rule said the river condition changes often and the drivers just got caught out.

"I think they just did their best to stop the incident from happening [but] realised the current was too quick."

The rescue call out was made to a Facebook page '4WDING Canterbury and Beyond South Island' which gathered a swift response.

"We do anything we can to help each other. Through that we got most of our resources to give us a hand."

The rescue proved difficult because initially they couldn't get a rope on the vehicle.

They brought in a jet boat but still struggled to get a rope onto the stranded 4WD.

"We actually ended up using a boat anchor," Mr Rule says.

After slipping the anchor through the front window screen the rescuers were able to gain some leverage to get it to pop up and let water get underneath the vehicle which made it float.

"From that point it got to a shallow bit of the river we were able to wrap ropes and the vehicle itself."

Mr Rule was late for a birthday dinner because he was helping out the driver.

"I actually had a birthday dinner that I was late to, so as soon as it was on the dry and my vehicle was unhooked I was out of there," he says.

The body of the 4WD is a write off but the engine and gearbox still runs.

"It's a matter of putting a new body on it and they'll be away laughing again." 

Watch the video.

Newshub.