Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Car underwater after lockdown fishing trip

It's an expensive mistake for the group who decided to park their car and go for a fish. Photo / Supplied

A fishing trip at alert level 4 ended badly for a couple of Aucklanders yesterday afternoon, after their car got stuck in the Manukau Harbour.

Photos and video show the vehicle almost completely submerged as the high tide hit the area where it had been left, at the end of Pollock Wharf Rd, in Awhitu Peninsula, Auckland.

Local man Harrison Mckee first spotted the car yesterday afternoon and confirmed it was still there this morning. According to the man: "three guys from Karaka (not local) drove down the boat ramp onto sand/mud closer to the water".

He added that they went to set the net for fish and, once they went to leave, realised they were stuck.

"They tried frantically digging, but the mud just made it worse," he said.

The car at 4.45pm on Saturday, before high tide. Photo / Supplied

Despite multiple attempts, they were unable to move the vehicle.

"It will need heavy haulage to get out as it has been two high tides since then so it will be deep in the mud," the man said.

The car on Sunday morning. Photo / Supplied

"It's an expensive mistake. There was nothing we could do help, it was too late."

According to the local, the men would have driven about 45 minutes to get to that spot to go fishing - something that alert level 4 rules, currently in place in Auckland, do not allow.

"I think quite a few people from out of the area are driving to the beach to fish as it has been busy the last few days," he said.