Man rescued from campervan rooftop by rescue chopper as floodwaters surrounded him

Saturday, 17 July 2021

Dramatic chopper rescue of man from campervan surrounded by floodwater.

A man had to climb through the skylight of his campervan so he could be plucked from raging floodwaters by a helicopter crew in the Motueka Valley this morning.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the daring rescue started about 11am Saturday when fire crews from Tapawera and Motueka attended the scene, but were unable to get near enough to the vehicle to reach the motorist because of flooding.

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* Brutal weather system causes chaos across Marlborough

Dramatic chopper rescue of man from campervan surrounded by floodwater near Motueka.

* Mandatory evacuations as West Coast's Buller River rises due to heavy rain

Wild weather has hammered the top of the South Island, with flooding across the region and roads closed, while people are being urged to stay home.

Rising floodwaters at Paynes Ford south of Tākaka.

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter pilot Barry McAuliffe said the chopper was called out to the Motueka Valley at the confluence of the Baton River and Motueka River.

He said a man had been camping out by the river for the past three days, and while he was sleeping the floodwaters had engulfed his vehicle and campervan.

To escape the man had to go up through the skylight and get onto the roof, where the helicopter picked him up and took him to safety, McAuliffe said.

The alarm was raised by Baton Valley farmers Alistair Webber and Carol McKeever – who were checking on the flood damage to their farm when they spotted the campervan submerged on the other side of the river.

“When we first saw the campervan we thought he had already got out,” McKeever said. “But then we saw him pop up though the skylight and start waving frantically at us.”

McKeever said with no cellphone reception in the paddock, they had to sprint back to their house to call up the emergency services for a rescue.

With the misty weather delaying the arrival of the rescue helicopter, fire crews assembled on the east bank of the Motueka River to prepare for a rescue – but before they started the helicopter arrived at the scene, McKeever said.

“The helicopter circled over a couple of times, and then it came down with its skids just above the campervan and the man climbed into it – it was incredible.”

She said the helicopter then flew a few hundred metres up the river to help out with a group of steers that had been trapped in a flooded paddock.

The Motueka River in flood after heavy rains overnight in the Nelson region.

Some locals had gathered together to try and herd the cattle to safety, but without any luck.

McKeever said at their request the chopper had managed to drive the cattle through some shallower water and up a bank to safety.

Fire and Emergency NZ is reminding motorists not to drive through floodwater, and to respect road closures.

Tasman District residents are being urged to stay home after heavy rain caused flooding in much of the Nelson Bays region.

Roads have been closed, trees felled and some homes evacuated as the rain continued to pour overnight.

Tasman District Council spokesman Chris Choat said while there was surface flooding all over the district, the worst-affected area was at the Riwaka River between Riwaka and Kaiteriteri, where some homes had to be evacuated from 3am Saturday.

Choat said the message from council was for people to “stay home and stay off the roads”.

He said there had also been surface flooding in Golden Bay, cutting off the Tākaka township and closing the Tākaka Hill.

Damage done by the overnight flooding and rain to Rocks Rd in Nelson.

Just south of Tākaka, the van Sint Annaland family made the decision to evacuate themselves to town as the rising waters began to threaten the Paynes Ford bridge.

“We had an uneasy night watching the water come up,' Erica van Sint Annaland said. “At 8am the road was still visible going over the bridge – but it was getting very close and we decided to leave.

“We don’t know if the house is still dry, but you can’t wait until it’s too late.”

Tākaka was also hit hard by the rain, with roads to the town being cut off both to the north and the south.

As of 11am, Waka Kotahi NZTA said SH60 Collingwood to Riwaka, SH6 Motupiko to Kohatu, SH65 between O`Sullivans Bridge and Shenandoah, and SH6 from Renwick to Hira had all been closed due to the flooding.

Because of the road closures, Nelson, Tākaka, Murchison and Collingwood were all currently isolated.

Choat said the Riwaka River continued to be the main area of concern, and while the Motueka River was high it was still below its stop banks.

SH1, the Wairau River bridge to the right in Marlborough.

“It is happening as forecast. Apart from Riwaka, we are beginning to see the rivers have peaked and are slowly starting to come down, but there’s still a significant amount of water in the hills.”

Civil Defence Nelson Tasman regional public information manager Paul Shattock said the flooding had been less severe in Nelson, with some minor slips and damage to Rocks Rd.

SH6 Rocks Rd between Richardson Rd and Bisley Avenue had also been closed since the early hours of the morning, but was reopened at 9am.

Tasman Police said they had attended multiple call-outs in the region from slips, flooded roads and trees blocking roads.

Police also urged people to avoid any unnecessary travel in the region.

“There are a number of road closures throughout the district and heavy rain and surface flooding is making conditions dangerous in many areas.

SH6 just before Canvastown, which is between the Pelorus Bridge and Havelock, water over the road is at least 1.5m deep and strong flowing

“If you do not need to travel, stay home and wait it out.”

Fire and Emergency crews were also busy assisting with three rescues involving motorists trapped in floodwaters in the Nelson Tasman regions this morning.

Flooding is also affecting widespread areas across Marlborough.

In Wairau Valley, the local hall has been opened for emergency shelter.

“There’s a tremendous amount of surface water. It’s probably the worst it’s been for some seven or eight years. Streams have burst everywhere,” rural postman Mike Nesbit said.

The township is currently cut off by road closures. On the Blenheim side, the road is completely blocked by fallen trees.

As the rural delivery contractor, Nesbit said he had got through in the morning, but found the road blocked on his return.

“I’ve had to leave my van there and climb over the trees and get somebody to pick me up to bring me home. The trees were still falling with the wind,” he said.

Communications manager for the Marlborough District Council Glyn Walters said that everyone in Wairau Valley had been asked to boil their water, as there were concerns regarding the chlorination system.

“The number one piece of advice at the moment is to stay home and not go out travelling today,” Walters said.