Kayakers made a desperate bid to save a man's life after a car plunged into a river near Whangarei.A 56-year-old man died after his vehicle veered off Ngunguru Rd, near Scow Landing, about 5.20pm on Saturday. Several kayakers were on the Ngunguru River when the vehicle sank, and tried tofree the man. Northland's 2009 road toll has risen to three after an Onerahi man, the sole occupant of the car, died when kayakers' efforts to free him failed because the car was submerged and stuck in mud. Whangarei police Sergeant Neil Pennington said the man, aged 56, was driving towards Ngunguru when the car rounded a corner and veered across the road. The car then went down a bank and flipped into the river near Scow Landing. Mr Pennington said the car came to rest on its side, submerged in the river. Several kayakers who were on the river at the time paddled to the site and tried to get the man out of the car. However, they were unable to open the vehicle as it had become stuck in mud, he said. He praised the kayakers for their brave, but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to get the man out of the vehicle. Mr Pennington said the fire service lifted the vehicle from the water, but the driver was declared dead at the scene. The dead man's name had not been released at edition time as not all of his family had been contacted. His death was the third on Northland's roads so far this year, compared with two this time in 2008. The police serious crash unit is investigating.
