A 7-year-old boy had a lucky escape when a runaway boat and trailer ran over his head as it crashed into the tent where he was sleeping at Lake Hawea in Central Otago yesterday.
The boy suffered only minor injuries.
The unit also hit five vehicles as it hurtled 60m
to 100m down a slope.
The boy, Josh Goodman of Winton, suffered cuts and bruises and needed eight to 10 stitches in his head.
He was taken to a medical centre in Wanaka for treatment and then allowed back to the Lake Hawea Holiday Camp.
His mother, Sharyn Goodman, said Josh had emerged relatively unscathed despite the trailer appearing to have run over his head.
"We are thankful it wasn't any worse. We were very lucky."
She had been in bed with her daughter Georgia, 2, while Josh was by himself in a tent erected in the doorway of a caravan awning.
"I thought it was the rubbish truck because it was making quite a lot of noise. Luckily I didn't see it coming because that would have been horrific," Mrs Goodman said.
Constable Phil Vink said the boat's owner had parked and unhitched the boat trailer effectively but had then moved it slightly on its jockey wheel to avoid obstructing a track.
The boat and trailer rolled away almost immediately.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
