A bus which careened off a North Canterbury road into a waterway, killing its sole occupant last night, has been pulled from the water.
The bus was sitting in about a foot of water off Rotherham Rd in Waiau, in the Hurunui District, 30km east of Hanmer Springs.
Contractors dragged the bus out of the river just before 6am.
The road was closed at a bridge which crosses the Waiau River, with traffic being diverted by Leslie Hills Rd, but has since reopened.
A man, the driver of the bus, died at the scene, St John confirmed.
Emergency services were called at 7.45pm after reports of a bus going into the river.
Fairfax last night reported police as saying the vehicle appeared to be a converted house bus. Police have been unable to confirm this today.
A spokesman for the Southern Fire Service said it was not clear what the body of water was.
The Serious Crash Unit were called and will be investigating the cause of the crash.