20 Aug 2013

Officer speaks about bridge crash rescue

1:19 pm on 20 August 2013

A police officer who helped to rescue a man after in a three-way collision on a Tauranga bridge last week, says he felt calm just before jumping into the water.

Gregory Woledge, 24, died when the van he was driving plunged off the Maungatapu bridge.

The van's passenger managed to escape and was struggling to stay afloat in the water.

Constable Deane O'Connor said he jumped in as soon as the man disappeared under the water again.

Mr O'Connor said on Tuesday that if he had not jumped at that moment, he probably would not have been able to bring himself to do it.