Divers work to recover drivers body
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| Photo - Zach Jeffries
Police are praising the actions of a police officer after he striped down to his underwear and jumped into Tauranga harbour to save one of the victims of a horrific crash last night.
One person is dead and five people, including the officer, were rescued and taken to Tauranga hospital after a serious crash last night.
The Police National Dive Team are in Taruanga today working to recover the body of a man after the vehicle he was driving plunged from the Mangatapu Causeway Bridge last night.
The crash involving three vehicles with one vehicle going off the bridge and into the water happened at approximately 6.10pm.
A male passenger in his 20s managed to get out of the submerged vehicle. A police constable jumped into the water to assist him. The pair drifted some distance and eventually managed to get ashore. They were taken to Tauranga Hospital and both suffered hypothermia.
A man and a woman in their 30s, and a man in his 40s, were in the two vehicles that remained on the bridge and they received moderate injuries and were taken to Tauranga hospital.
A search by air and sea for the driver of the submerged vehicle was carried out until further investigation identified the driver was still trapped in the submerged vehicle.
The Police National Dive team will work to recover the body of the driver today.
The Police Serious Crash Unit are investigating the crash.
The bridge is expected to be closed at 10am well police carry out a scene examination and divers work to recover the males body.
Diversions are in place
Reporter Cameron Avery is at the scene and says crane and media are at the scene preparing to recover the submerged vehicle along with the body of the driver.
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