Rhoda Davidson, 61, was driving from her Fuchsia Creek home to her job at Oamaru KFC around 11am when, misjudging the depth and speed of the water crossing the road north of Five Forks bridge, her car was swept down the Kakanui River until caught in a fence.
Ms Davidson said her car being swept off the road wasn't the scary part, rather the realisation her car's electric windows had stopped working because of the water.
She then used a small fire extinguisher in the car to smash out the driver's side window.
"I was pretty quick, I had to do it or else [drown]. That was the creepiest time probably.
"I just got straight out onto the driver's side real fast. I just thought if you keep calm and you don't panic, well it makes it a bit easier."
While stranded on the roof, Mrs Davidson said she considered swimming with the current downstream towards a tree.
"You've got to think ahead instead of thinking the worst."
A passerby who saw Mrs Davidson on the roof of her car surrounded by water then notified emergency services.
Two fire units from Weston and Oamaru, St John and local farmers then arrived to help.
A jet-boat was also put on stand-by and the Otago Regional Rescue helicopter sent to the scene.
"The helicopter wouldn't have had any show of getting me because I was under the powerlines," Mrs Davidson said.
Large logs passed the car while it was submerged in the floodwaters, yet fortunately none hit the car, Ms Davidson said. "Thank God for that."
The cold was the worst part of the ordeal, she said. "That was all that bothered me - hypothermia setting in."
After about two hours huddled on the roof of her car, the digger managed to get out to her with Oamaru Police Sergeant Peter Muldrew in its bucket, who plucked her to safety.
She was later treated at Oamaru Hospital for hypothermia.
Mrs Davidson said Mr Muldrew often came into the KFC where she worked and she was looking forward to thanking him next time he was in. She was planning on returning to work today.
- Brendan Manning of APNZ/additional reporting ODT
