At 9:30pm on Monday 17 October Police and other emergency services were notified of a vehicle crash on Beach Road, near Gees Rd Kakanui, Waitaki District.
A vehicle had driven off a grass lay-by over a seven metre high cliff down onto the beach with the tide and seas just reaching the vehicle.
The two occupants were stranded on a small gravel beach, surrounded by high wet cliffs.
Fire crews from Kakanui, Weston and Oamaru attended. Ambulance and Police from Oamaru attended. Cliff Rescue members from the Otago Search and Rescue squad were dispatched from Dunedin, as well as Cliff Rescue members from Dunedin Fire Service.
The Rescue Helicopter from Dunedin with its winch crew who arrived and conducted a winch operation in the dark to rescue the two occupants of the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle was transported to Oamaru Hospital with minor injuries and the passenger was checked and released without injury.
Police are continuing to investigate how the crash occurred.
