Ear piercing, howling wind consumed two Waikato police constables as a funnelling tornado went “right through the patrol car”, trapping them inside.
Officers Hayden Dragicevich and Mark Jackson tried to out-drive a twister that pummelled towards them during Friday night’s storm.
But, in a scene they compared to Discovery channel’s Storm Chasers, they found themselves directly in its path.
“It touched down in front of us, then all of a sudden it was around us, through our car and we were driving. The trees came down and the powerlines came with it.”
The pair were on patrol east of Kihikihi when the storm rolled in.
Thunder, torrential rain, wind and lightning tore through the skies over Waikato.
As the pair watched the lightning near the Golf Rd intersection, a funnel popped out and touched down over Castleton Park.
“We saw a tornado funnel coming out of the sky, through the lightning. We reckon it was about 500 metres but it went straight through the car.”
“It came down out of the sky, landed and went straight through us.”
It lifted roofs, uprooted trees and tore down powerlines directly in the pair’s path.
There were no thoughts, said Dragicevich, just the memory of yelling at his partner to “drive”.
“The powerlines all around were sparking. When we were trying to get away, you could see the iron and trees getting thrown around around us.
“We were just getting hammered.”
At Hairini Rd the funnel tore down trees, bringing powerlines down over the pair’s car.
“We could always see it to the left but it must have doubled back on us, and got caught up in the powerlines.”
In the darkness Dragicevich could see nothing but hear the howling wind.
“We actually videoed it, you couldn’t see anything but you could hear it. It was just like a tornado, heaps of whistling.
“It was really loud, the car was shaking.”
Debris and roofing iron belted past the car.
“The powerlines were stuck on the light bar on the roof, draped over the car from left to right. We knew that if we didn’t hop out of the car we would be alright.”
From inside Dragicevich called Waipa networks to ensure they wouldn’t be running any charges over the lines to shake debris.
“We made sure they weren’t going to do that in case it fried us.”
It was by chance a passing motorist was a linesman who stopped to help.
“We just sat there, rang our mates and got them to come to make sure no one came around a corner and hit us.”
Surveying the damage, Dragicevich could see the path of the tornado stretching from Park Rd to Kihikihi.
“There was a house out Parawera and they had their roof blown off, it was really bad.”
Nearby Ron Richardson’s farm, 3 km from Te Awamutu, was partially destroyed by a tornado.
Trees, fences, and roofs were torn apart, the rose garden was wiped out and a washing line bent in half. It would cost $40,000 just to fix the farm fences.
The experience, Dragicevich said, made for a “Better Work Story”.
“It was an eye opener.”
– Stuff
PHILLIPA YALDEN
Last updated 09:26, May 24 2016
Picture:CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ
