Classic Motel neighbour Lance Duncan said he heard cries for help just before 4pm. "I heard a whole lot of screaming, but there wasn't much I could do. The ambulance came not long after."
Meanwhile, a critically injured baby girl was taken to hospital by rescue helicopter after a Bay of Plenty road accident which also critically injured a 2-year-old girl.
The girls were travelling with a 70-year-old man, a 64-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy when their vehicle left State Highway 2 near Opotiki bridge and crashed into a tree.
The adults, who were returning from a tangi, were transferred from Whakatane to Waikato Hospital last night.
The boy was treated at Whakatane Hospital and discharged.
Both girls were flown to Waikato Hospital. A hospital spokeswoman said they were still being assessed in the emergency department when the Herald on Sunday went to press.
A rescue services member said the driver of the crashed vehicle might have suffered a seizure and collapsed at the wheel. The police serious crash unit is investigating.
Also last night, a Westpac rescue helicopter was called in after a boat with eight people on board broke down southeast of Little Barrier Island.
Crewman Mark Cannell said the helicopter located the vessel and directed a private boat to the scene, which helped until the Coastguard took the vessel under tow.
