'Traumatised' family left Hawke's Bay crash scene despite rescuer's pleas

Three people were perched on the top of this car, drifting toward a bridge pylon in the Karamu Stream. Photo / Warren Buckland

A family which took off after being rescued from a sinking car in Hawke's Bay will be "traumatised" and could be suffering from internal injuries, one of their rescuers says.

Angela, an ex-ambulance officer whose daughter died in a single car crash in 2013, saw the car floating in the Karamu Stream on Thursday and said she felt like tragedy was about to strike her again.

Three people were perched on top of the car - the father and two "screaming" young girls - as the current pulled it downstream, pinning it against the pylon of the railway bridge.

Steve Karatau owner of Trade Towage winches the damaged vehicle from the stream. Photo / Warren Buckland

The mother of the children was in a car behind as it went through the Otene-Ruahapia Rd intersection and plunged through a fence and into the cold water below, Angela said.

She said the pylon was probably the reason all three were still alive as it gave those on the banks a window of opportunity.

One man on the scene swam out to the car, while several others who arrived risked the potential of a train coming through and made their way onto the railway bridge.

Together they helped lift the children up, and carried them away from the danger.

"They only really had a minute, as soon as everyone was off the car it just sank, it was that fast."

Angela comforted the oldest girl and gave her a blanket before doing a medical check of both of them.

"They didn't have any obvious external injuries but they could have had internal injuries.

"Those kids, they were absolutely saturated – it was 7.30pm so it was dark, it was cold – they could easily have been in shock."

Angela said she told the family they needed to get medical attention but they drove off before emergency services arrived.

She remained worried about them, but was pleased it hadn't been a fatal accident.

"I have a grandson growing up without his mum. It's the first crash I have seen since then so I didn't know how I'd react to it, but basically as soon as I heard the cries of those kids I just wanted them to be safe."