General News
31 August, 2023
Vehicle slips into Bullen Merri
A TOYOTA HiLux has been written off after sliding into Lake Bullen Merri while usings the south beach boat ramp last Thursday.
A TOYOTA HiLux has been written off after sliding into Lake Bullen Merri while usings the south beach boat ramp last Thursday.
The vehicle was submerged after losing traction on the boat ramp, which was covered in algae buildup.
The owner of the vehicle, Geoff Fergusson, and another man managed to get out of the vehicle and no injuries were reported.
Mr Fergusson said the algae “just took over”, despite the vehicle being in park and the handbrake applied.
“It’s a write-off. It’s been submerged, so it won’t be getting fixed.” he said.
“The water was level with the snorkel.
“You can’t stop it once it’s skidded.”
Mr Fergusson called for Better Boating Victoria (BBV) to “do something about it”.
“If you were in that car and it went out, someone elderly can get trapped in there,” he said.
“It’s that dangerous; hopefully they’ll do something about it before someone dies.”
A BBV spokesperson said the organisation was working with South Beach Foreshore Committee of Management to improve the condition of the ramp.
“A dive team will head to the lake in coming days and perform scabbling work underwater,” they said.
“The work will make the concrete surface rougher, providing more traction for vehicles and trailers.
“BBV has recently provided funding that saw scabbling undertaken above the water line to improve traction as well as pressure washing to reduce the build-up of algae on behalf of the committee of management.”
