A motorist filmed driving through a channel of water that suddenly formed after a lagoon broke its banks on a popular Australian beach has been slammed for the “dangerous” act, as authorities warn people not to emulate the stunt.
The four-wheel driver was recorded by onlookers on Saturday charging through what appeared to be waist-deep water racing across the channel that rapidly flowed out to sea, near Ocean Beach on Queensland’s Bribie Island.
The phenomenon takes place every few years, locals say, when heavy rain pairs with powerful ocean currents to erode sand on the shore.
The area had been lashed by heavy rainfall, resulting in a number of nearby lagoons breaking their banks and several cars becoming stranded, some bogged in the sand.
Parts of Brisbane recorded a whopping 180mm of rainfall in the space of just a few hours, with several regions around southeast Queensland copping a major drenching.
With social media footage surfacing, ocean experts have spoken out against the act, which they say is dangerous.
“It’s pushing a lot of water through a very, very narrow passage,” coastal scientist Professor Javier Leon told 7News. “So those currents can actually get quite fast.
“It can be a hazard, so I would suggest people stay away from this.”
Online, people responding to the footage had mixed reactions. “There’s always one!” a woman commented. “The typical Bribie weekend s**t show — why would ya?,” another said.
“I have had to do this to get home…needs a bloody good rinse after though, acidic water from lagoons and salt water from the surf,” one 4WD enthusiast commented.
“Wait until he makes an insurance claim and they see this video,” another joked.
(yahoo news)
