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A YOUNG man will remarkably live to tell the tale of how he walked away with only cuts and bruises after his vehicle plunged around 150 metres into the Blue Lake late on Friday evening.
What started as a cry for help at around 11.40pm led to the shocking discovery of a Mitsubishi Triton submerged in the iconic volcanic landmark, which also serves as the city’s water supply.
Just 20 metres above the water’s edge on the cliff-face was a 22-year-old man who had been ejected from the vehicle shortly before it plunged into the water.
“If he was still in the car when it hit the water, I don’t think he would have survived,” Limestone Coast Police officer in charge Superintendent Grant Moyle said.
“He is extremely lucky to be alive.”
Following a four-hour cross agency operation involving dozens of experienced emergency service staff, volunteers, a helicopter and a dinghy, the man was eventually retrieved and transported to hospital with minor injuries.
The complicated operation began when a member of the public noticed significant damage to a guard rail and fence alongside the lake and alerted the authorities.
On arrival, officers heard someone calling out from below and other emergency services attended to help locate and retrieve the source of the voice.
“They could hear someone calling out for help, which faded for a while and other emergency services were called in to try and locate where it was coming from,” Limestone Coast Police officer in charge Superintendent Grant Moyle said.
Rescue-trained Metropolitan Fire Service firefighter Phil Wood and State Emergency Service volunteers attempted to vertically rope their way down the cliff to locate the man.
“It is about 150 metres from the road to the bottom, so it was too difficult and dangerous for them to get all the way down,” Supt Moyle said.
As a result, paramedics Lucy Porcelli and Amy Bastock, Metropolitan Fire Service retained firefighters Rob Baker and Robert Mitchinson and Mount Gambier Police Sergeant Matt Bryant then used a boat belonging to SA Water and found the utility submerged in the lake.
“Around 20 metres above where the car was, they located the 22-year-old Mount Gambier man,” Supt Moyle said.
Sgt Bryant was the first person to scale the embankment to the man’s location and described the man as “semi-conscious”.
Ms Porcelli then scaled the cliff-face to provide initial treatment to the patient.
A helicopter from Warnambool was called in to assist with the rescue, however on arrival it was ascertained it was too dangerous to complete the task.
Supt Moyle said after some deliberation, the decision was made to lower the man down to the boat.
He was then taken to the pumping station and was remarkably able to walk back to the top with the MFS staff, paramedics and a police officer.
Police are now investigating the circumstances of the incident and Supt Moyle refused to speculate on the facts.
“Just by looking at the damage that has been done to the guard rail and fence, we will definitely be investigating speed,” Supt Moyle said.
“The driver of the vehicle is yet to be interviewed.”
Limestone Coast ambulance operations manager Andrew Thomas said he was proud of the two women who worked in extremely difficult conditions to provide medical attention.
“It was a seriously complicated logistical exercise to keep the patient safe and retrieve him in dark and windy conditions,” Mr Thomas said.
Over a dozen SES volunteers were also on hand to provide lighting and assistance with the rescue.
Mount Gambier SES unit manager Simon Poel said he was proud of how his crew worked with all the other emergency services on the scene.
“A lot of hard training is undertaken for incidents like this and it is in these real-life situations where you see it pay off,” Mr Poel said.
“You hope these thing don’t happen too often, but at least when they do, we know we are well-prepared.”
