Queensland Police charge driver after dangerous Bribie Island stunt

Police have arrested and charged a man after a wild video surfaced of his car attempting a dangerous lagoon crossing, with swimmers metres away.

Queensland Police have pounced on a man after he was filmed attempting a dangerous lagoon crossing on Bribie Island, with swimmers just metres nearby.

The 28-year-old man from Canungra was arrested this morning and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and will appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court on April 7.

Police posted the wild video to social media yesterday after horrified onlookers filmed the moment the Canungra man attempted the crossing at Bribie Island’s Ocean Beach, just off the coast of Brisbane.

The alleged offence occurred on February 5 and footage showed the moment the man sat on one side of Ocean Beach staring down the fast-rushing water.

The moment the car attempted the crossing. Picture: QPS

Just after 10.30am, the man is accused of accelerating his Nissan Patrol into the deep water, attempting to pass through and allegedly narrowly missing a group of swimmers, who were forced to move out of his path.

Due to the depth of the water, the vehicle was unable to cross and became submerged.

“Members of the public are reminded of the changing nature of the conditions on the northern end of Bribie Island,” Queensland Police warned.

“Due to recent weather conditions there has seen a cutting off of the Northern tip of the island beyond the Lions Park at certain tides and times.”

Swimmers attempting to help the driver. Picture: QPS

The cutting regularly changes with the tide and weather conditions and can quickly become impassable.

Police advised drivers to wade out across the crossing to check its depth before trying to drive from the northern to the southern tip of the inlet.

Police also warned drivers to make sure “there are no pedestrians or swimmers in the line of travel to traverse this crossing”.

Bribie Island was potentially permanently changed in December when ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth created massive swells that caused the island’s northern tip to split into two.