Jet Boater Loses Truck While Rescuing Woman Trapped in Bay of Plenty Floods

By Annabel Reid · 1 Aug, 2025

In a harrowing tale of selflessness, a veteran rescuer found himself in a desperate situation when floodwaters swallowed his truck during a mission to save a stranded woman in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Mark Looney, owner and operator of Motu and Rangitaiki Jet Boat Tours, was en route to transport an electrician around a solar panel farm when he spotted a woman perched on top of her car, stranded by floodwaters. The incident occurred after 24 hours of heavy rain had flooded parts of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, cutting off the two highway routes between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki.

More than 70 people had taken shelter at Kutarere Marae, located between the two towns, on Wednesday night. As Looney rounded a corner on Waiotahi Valley Rd, a rural road off State Highway 2 near Ōpōtiki, he found the woman and her car, which was sitting “sideways” and blocking the road.

The floodwater was “waist-deep at most” when he arrived, but Looney said that was enough to stop a car. A well-known local with nearly 30 years in Search and Rescue, Looney said he had done rescues like that “all the time.” He had crossed the same road earlier in the day and believed his 2019 Mitsubishi Triton 4WD truck could handle it.

Looney tried to drive around the woman’s car. Once in the water, he was “committed,” as his trailer meant he couldn’t turn around or stop. Approaching the woman’s vehicle, he slowed down, but the water made it impossible to see the road’s edge, and the current dragged his truck toward a deep roadside drain.

Looney climbed out of his truck and jumped into the jet boat hitched to the back. He picked up the “grateful” woman, who had been waiting on top of her car for about an hour for the fire brigade to rescue her. The fire and emergency crew was at the other side of the submerged road, about 100m away, around a corner.

Looney helped the woman collect her belongings and returned her to her waiting family. As for his truck, Looney said it was “goosed” — front end submerged, rear end sticking up in the air.

“Oh bugger,” he said. Farmers and friends later helped free Looney’s truck using chains and a tractor. Looney’s truck was not the only victim of the floodwaters. Several other vehicles were completely submerged, and roads and properties were also impacted.

Steven Woods, who owns Motu Helicopters, described the region’s flooding as among the “worst amount of water” he had seen in 25 years of flying. Woods said Looney was always there for the community with his jet boat “when s**t hits the fan.” Woods had offered Looney a vehicle to use while his truck was out of action. Woods did up to 12 helicopter flights between Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne on Wednesday, transporting stranded workers home.

Looney’s story is a powerful reminder of the risks faced by those who step up in times of crisis. His actions, though resulting in the loss of his truck, saved a life and inspired those around him.