A young man has miraculously escaped unhurt after crashing his ute into a famous volcanic lake in the South Australian city of Mount Gambier.
The 22-year-old's ute crashed through a guard rail on Bay Road and plunged down the steep embankment into the Blue Lake about 11.30pm on Friday.
But the driver managed to leap from the vehicle just before it hit the water and he was found half-way down the slope.
He remained stranded in the dark on the bank for several hours as emergency crews needed to use a boat to rescue him.
The man was taken to the local hospital for checks but police said he appeared to have escaped injury.
His Mitsubishi Triton was found partially submerged in the lake.
The striking Blue Lake sits in a dormant volcanic crater and is one of Mt Gambier's top tourist attractions, spanning more than one kilometre in length.
