Car stuck in mud in Manukau Harbour: Onlooker watches as tide moves in

A car is stuck in the mudflats of the Manukau Harbour and onlookers have been watching as the tide moves in towards the vehicle - with one person still sitting inside.

A Karaka resident told the Herald: “The guy just decided he would drive across” and then got stuck.

The car was near Bottletop Bay, with the resident watching from Oakland Rd.

He said the car has “got deeper and deeper into the mud”.

A car is stuck in the mudflats of the Manukau Habour near Bottletop Bay, Karaka.

“It’s unexplainable,” he said. “As a kid, I wouldn’t even walk out there. He [the car’s occupant] has got no help at all.”

The resident said a man got out of the car and started walking through the mud while a woman remained in the car.

The tide moves in.

A police spokeswoman said they were aware of the incident.

“Police have advised those involved to contact a tow company as this isn’t a police matter,” she said.

The Karaka resident, meanwhile, said, “This is developing into a real emergency and no one wants to respond.

“This will become a taxpayer-funded problem: ‘Car not recoverable and subsequent blight on harbour’.”

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.