Cyclist takes unplanned morning dip

ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post

WET SURPRISE: Karl Wakelin checks the bike of girlfriend Amelie Goldberg after she and her wheels took a plunge in the harbour. Diver Nigel Bullock and maritime police officer Ross Lane look on.

A gentle bike ride to work came to a soggy end for Amelie Goldberg, when she clipped a pedestrian and plunged two metres into Wellington Harbour.

Witnesses were quick to call police yesterday, but Ms Goldberg climbed out of the water herself, thanks to a handily placed ladder.

"As I fell, I remember thinking this can't be happening, this is just ridiculous."

The man she accidentally collided with at 8.30am had disappeared by the time she emerged from the harbour.

"Maybe he didn't notice what had happened. We were coming towards each other, there was a bit of confusion about how we were going to pass, I clipped his bag, and then suddenly I was heading for the side."

The police dive squad retrieved Ms Goldberg's bike from the water.

"They were awesome," she said. A passerby gave her $10 for a taxi.

Senior Sergeant Ross Lane of Wellington maritime police said the harbour plunge was the second in the past year, while less serious collisions were common.

"It is a bit of an issue. There just needs to be a bit more care."

A white lane could be painted on some narrower stretches of the waterfront to keep waterfront users apart, he said.

Ms Goldberg, a policy analyst at the Environment Ministry, had a scraped leg after her unscheduled swim outside the Loaded Hog, but was otherwise unhurt.

"All I want now is a hot shower and a change of clothes."

Dive squad member Nigel Bullock retrieved her bike, handbag and cellphone. He said it was an easy assignment, despite poor visibility and a scattering of chairs, probably hurled into the harbour by pubgoers.

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Fan numero 2   #5   04:36 pm May 13 2009

Yes, yes they are

Fan numero uno   #4   09:29 pm May 07 2009

Who cares if they are clumsy or not, this couple is ridiculously good-looking!

Sid   #3   09:20 pm May 06 2009

So Stella, going by your argument, if I see a pedestrian darting across the road when the signal was red and gets run over by a car, I should be celebrating. Right?

BTW, I am a cyclist and have stopped 'n' number of times to help pedestrians who have knocked themselves somewhere out of their own stupidity. What do you make of that?

An accident is an accident, whoever and whatever it is.

ziggy   #2   06:32 pm May 06 2009

Ok stella #1, we will call you heartless - and stupid. I've seen idiots driving cars, but that does not mean I celebrate when some poor driver gets hit.

Stella   #1   04:56 pm May 06 2009

Call me heartless if you like, but this really made me laugh. A couple of times I've been nearly run down by careless cyclists, once when the cyclist attempted to run a red light at the same time I attempted to use the pedestrian crossing. Quite frequently I see them running red lights in Lambton Quay, or going the wrong way up one way streets. Nice to see some natural justice!

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