Man forced to abandon son to save wife

The two were in a car, which crashed into a river in New Zealand

Man forced to abandon son to save wife

The two were in a car, which crashed into a river in New Zealand

When New Zealand woman Vanessa Horton crashed her car into a river, her husband had to make the excruciating choice between saving her or rescuing his son, who was trapped in the sinking car.

Stacy Horton chose to go to his screaming wife Vanessa who was struggling in the water after escaping the sinking car, while his 13-year-old son Silva remained trapped in the vehicle about 15 feet below the surface.

The car had skidded down a grassy bank and over a 10-metre cliff into a river near their home in Wanganui on the North Island on Saturday.

Stacy arrived, less than two minutes after the crash to hear his wife screaming in the darkness and the family Mazda station wagon submerged nose down three feet under the surface.

As his wife floundered in the water, Horton tried to dive down to the car to rescue his son, but said he could not reach the teenager.

"I tried to get down and get him but I couldn't, it was just too deep. And Vanessa was going under," said Horton.

'I sat and prayed'

"I made a call to pull my wife to safety. I looked back and I could see the tail-lights but it was too far and I couldn't get him," he said.

"I just had to accept the fact that he had gone. Instead of going down and risking my life as well as my wife
and son's, I chose to take V back and sat on the shore praying. It was all I could do," he added.

Emergency services arrived within minutes of the crash but police divers and fire-fighters using breathing apparatus also failed to reach the dying boy.

"I do know my son was unconscious when he drowned [after hitting his head on the dash]. It's just a freak accident. We can't blame anyone," said Stacy.

"My wife is emotionally distraught and drained, like I am."

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