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A North Canterbury man drove his four-wheel-drive Jeep into a river and got it stuck this afternoon in an attempt to avoid a group of people who had allegedly assaulted him.
Firefighters had to pull the Jeep from the flooded Eyre River in Canterbury.
The Herald was on the sceneand saw the vehicle, believed to be a 1990s model, nearly half-submerged at a ford near Harrs Rd, Swannanoa, about 1pm.
Firefighters were surrounding the vehicle and looking down on it from the riverbank.
Firefighters prepare to pull a Jeep from the flooded Eyre River in Swannanoa, Canterbury. Photo / George Heard
Police were also called to help. A police spokesman said: “At the time of the incident, the man was attempting to avoid a group known to him that had allegedly assaulted him.”
There were no injuries related to the assault and the man’s vehicle was removed from the river, the spokesman said.
“Police are not seeking anyone else in this matter.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said they were called to the scene just before 12.45pm.
Crews found the Jeep stuck in a flooded ford but nobody was trapped inside the vehicle, a Fire and Emergency spokesman said.
Two fire crews from Swannanoa and one from Kaiapoi responded to the incident.
Crews pulled the Jeep from the stream and gave the driver first aid before ambulance staff arrived.
Paramedics from Hato Hone St John treated one person for minor injuries at the scene.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers business, breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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