A 57-year-old man is lucky to be alive after his car slid off a bridge into the Kye Burn in Central Otago.
Police say the vehicle landed in a metre of water and the cab was crushed, at about 3.40pm on Friday.
The driver was trapped, but managed to keep his nose and mouth above the water for several minutes until a passing motorist came to his aid.
The woman held his head above water for about 15 minutes until emergency services arrived.
The man had to be cut from the vehicle, and was flown to Dunedin Hospital to be treated for lacerations and possible head injuries.
Police say neither speed nor alcohol were factors in the crash.
