CAR WASHED OCT TO SEA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28980, 22 August 1959, Page 15

CAR WASHED OCT TO SEA

Bogged On Beach After Rain

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 21. Muriwai beach was closed to toheroa diggers today after a car had bieen washed into the sea and two other vehicles bogged down in soft sand.

The beach was made dangerous by the steady rain which fell over the Auckland province and Northland yesterday and last night.

The creek that flows over the Muriwai beach, about a mile and a half from the store, flooded and a large area of surrounding sand became treacherously soft. A car, believed to be a rental vehicle, was reported to have been trapped in this sand and dragged out to sea by the high tide tonight. Two cars attempted to cross the flooded creek today and became stuck. They were pulled out.

The storekeeper, Mr E. K. Brown, turned back a number of motorists, and later posted a sign warning people that the beach was dangerous. Minor flooding followed the heavy rain in Auckland province and Northland last night. Two roads were closed temporarily by floodwaters, and large pools of water collected in low-lying parts of the Auckland suburbs.

A car was trapped by rising water about four miles from Whangamata on the WhangamataWaihi road, and the two occupants bad to be rescued by farm horses. Local residents said the sudden downpour of water from the hills around Whangamata was “like an avalanche.’’

The heaviest rain in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. today was in Coromandel, where 3.68 in were recorded. ■

In the Auckland city area, most rain was recorded at the Manukau heads.- In the 24 hours 2.30 in of rain fell.