Phone GPS saves woman, 69, after car falls down embankment near Narooma

A grandmother who was trapped in her car for more than 17 hours after crashing down an embankment on the NSW South Coast was only found because she woke up to call her daughter-in-law.

Slight damage in the railing helped rescuers find the crash site. Picture: Fire and Rescue NSW

A GRANDMA trapped down an embankment in her car for more than 17 hours was only found when she woke and called her daughter-in-law.

But Lynette Williams, 69, could only give a rough estimate­ — spanning more than 70km — of where she had crashed along the Princes­ Hwy near Narooma late on Wednesday night.

Lynette Williams was trapped for more than 17 hours after her car crashed into a creek on the South Coast.

Emergency services have worked together to rescue a woman after her car crashed off the Princes Hwy into Kianga Creek. Picture: Fire & Rescue NSW

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Thankfully for Ms Williams, who had who survived near-freezing temperatures, police rescuers were able to track her phone signal­ and find her within 20 minutes of being alerted.

Once officers had the general­ area, they spotted minor damage to the roadside safety barrier — and found Ms Williams in her wrecked SUV next to a creek.

She had lost consciousness when she crashed about 11pm, not waking until about 4.30pm the following day when she rang her daughter-in-law to raise the alarm.

Before the crash, Ms Williams had been visiting her husband in Moruya Hospital but was driving in the opposite­ direction to her home in Benandarah.

Friend Janice Cooper said Ms Williams’ love for her family would have helped her survive. “She would have hung on for her children and grandchildren, she is one of the strongest, most loving people I know,” Ms Cooper said. “She doesn’t give in, she’s tough as nails. I’m blown away.”

Lynette Williams was trapped for more than 17 hours. Picture: Facebook

The woman was freed from the vehicle and flown to hospital. Picture: Fire & Rescue NSW

Ms Williams was flown to Canberra Hospital suffering from exposure and broken ribs.

South Coast Police District Chief Inspector Peter Volf said the temperature plummeted overnight as Ms Williams remained trapped in the vehicle near water.

“It would have been down to two or three degrees … so to sit in a car next to a creek, it would have been freezing,” he said.

Inspector Volf praised police, paramedics, the State Emergency Service and NSW Volunteer Rescue Association for their efforts and said Ms Williams was lucky she was close to a mobile phone tower.

“She was OK and very happy to see the police and emergency workers,” he said.

“She was adjacent to the creek, she was in bushland that was rugged terrain which she wouldn’t have been able to get out of on her own. She stayed in the car, which was smart.

“She was extremely lucky — we’ve had people drive into the bush and we’ve found them when it was too late.”

PEOPLE WILL DIE THIS WEEKEND: ANDREW CONSTANCE

The NSW Transport Minister has issued a dire warning to motorists that there are people walking around “at work, school, you name it” who have no idea they are going to die on the state’s roads this long weekend.

Andrew Constance on Thursday took a novel approach when he joined police in pleading for drivers to take care on NSW roads over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

“There are people walking around our community today, at work, school, you name it, who are going to die this weekend. Their lives are going to end,” he told reporters in Sydney.

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance.

“That’s the unfortunate nature of road accidents, they happen when people don’t expect it.” The state’s road toll now stands at 165, 12 more than the same time last year. More than two-thirds of the fatalities have been men.

NSW Police say speeding, fatigue and drink and drug driving are the biggest killers on the state’s roads.

Double demerits will be in place from Friday to Monday, with extra officers on the roads to keep people safe.

For the first time ever on a long weekend, low-range drink drivers will receive an on-the-spot three-month licence suspension and ordered to pay a $561 fine. More than 100 people have so far lost their licences as a result of the new laws which came into effect on May 20.