Rescuers Told to Hold Off Saving Man, Dogs in River

Rescuers told to hold off saving man, dogs in river

The stranded ute in the Waimakariri River. Photo: Supplied / Coastguard NZ Phil Pennington of RNZ Rescuers were told to hold back for more than an hour from saving a man and his dogs in the middle of a flooded Canterbury river unless something "catastrophic" happened, an emergency call log shows.

Rescuers told to wait as man and dogs stranded in middle of flooded Canterbury river

By the time their volunteers got there, the vehicle was "sinking".