Stuck car swamped by time and tide

A rental car driver could be in hot water with their rental company after their vehicle ended up in Purakaunui Inlet overnight yesterday.

The driver abandoned the Toyota Corolla after it rolled into the inlet, north of Port Chalmers, during low tide, becoming stuck in the sand.

Water eventually flooded the car as the tide came in.

A police spokesman said officers were called to the car which was sitting next to the community jetty just after 8am yesterday.

Initially, there were concerns people could have been trapped, but as the tide went out it was clear no-one was inside, the spokesman said.

Purakaunui woman Jude Newton said she had never seen a car trapped on the sand in that area in the 30 years she had lived in the coastal settlement.

"It's very weird where it is. They must have gone in the middle of the night sometime and gone down on the sand at low tide.''

A tow-truck removed the car at low tide yesterday afternoon.