An off-roader drove his Nissan truck into a fast-flowing river only for it to roll onto its side and disappear underwater. Incredibly, he says it was running again within the hour. Jamie Jack (@jamie.jack.773603) recently posted the 23-second Facebook Reel that has drawn more than 35,000 views. The video, captioned simply “whoopsies,” shows a group of four-wheel-drive vehicles attempting to cross what Jack later identified as the Ashburton River in Canterbury, New Zealand. Partway across, the current catches Jack’s truck, rolls it on its side, and pulls it under. Plot Twist Jack wasn’t alone in the cab. Fellow off-roader Scott Clark, who was watching from the bank, described the moment in the comments: “I was glad to see both of your heads pop up out of the water. I nearly jumped out. Very lucky.” Jack took it in stride. “Definitely found the hole,” he wrote in reply. “Wasn’t expecting it to be upside down though.” He had apparently joked earlier in the day about finding somewhere to get stuck. Clark reminded him in a comment, “You did say you were going to find a hole to try and get stuck in. I did not realize it would have happened that quick.” Did The Truck Survive The Plunge? The biggest surprise in the comments was Jack’s account of the aftermath. Commenter Greg Robinson posted a meme captioned “Who’s the U-Boat Commander.” Jack replied matter-of-factly, “She still lives. She was running about 40 mins later.” Jacob Betman joked, “There is easier ways to change your oil, mate.” Jack explained what it took to get the truck going again. “We just drained the water the sump out, spat the water out, glows, and she was away again,” he said. He added that he “drove the rest of the day to the beach and back. Ran like the same truck as before.” Why Braided Rivers Are Deceptive The Ashburton River is a braided river. This type of river is common across the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand’s South Island. Unlike a single-channel river, braided rivers spread across wide, shallow gravel beds that split and rejoin in constantly shifting channels. The Ashburton’s two branches drain from the foothills of the island’s Southern Alps, converging about 13 miles from the coast, and it has a steeper gradient than many of Canterbury’s other braided systems. That geography makes them deceptively dangerous for crossings. Water depth can change markedly within feet, and what looks like a shallow crossing may be concealing a deep channel scoured out by recent flows. As NZ4WD Magazine puts it, “every water crossing is a new river crossing,” adding “If you can’t walk it, don’t drive it.” Getting water into the engine during a crossing can cause more than a stalled truck. The magazine warns it “could mean a sleepover in the bush, an expensive retrieval and an even more expensive engine rebuild.” Modern electronics are especially vulnerable, potentially creating “electrical gremlins for life.” Jack’s truck apparently dodged the worst of it. Draining the sump and clearing water from the glow plugs was enough to get it running again, according to him. Water intrusion into engine oil, transmission, differentials, and electrical systems can cause problems that don’t show up immediately, so whether it stays functional in the long term is another question. ‘OMG That Looks Very Scary’ Commenter Dianne Favel asked what many viewers were thinking: “OMG that looks very scary! Are you ok? Is this where you lost your phone?” Jack, for his part, seemed more interested in reliving the moment than reflecting on it. He posted separately on Facebook, “Did anyone manage to get any photos of me and my truck upside down in the Ashburton River Saturday? So many videos of it but I’m after some photos if possible, cheers.” Motor1 reached out to Jack via Facebook direct message for comment. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team