'Mail still on time': Kiwi man rescues post van from flood

A New Zealand man turned local hero by rescuing nine vehicles trapped in furious floodwater, including the postman's.

Cameron Vernon, a builder from Ramarama in the Auckland region, was travelling to a property yesterday morning when he noticed a vehicle stranded in flash flooding.

The area was hit by 239mm of rain earlier this week and local forecasters are predicting the North Island faces further deluges when the remnants of Cyclone Debbie cross the Tasman Sea later this week. 

Despite the rising sea of muddy water around him, he fetched one of his heavy vehicles and drove out to help, reports the New Zealand Herald.

Vernon and his brother helped tow a number of vehicles to safety, including the local postman's which was filmed on video and posted on Facebook yesterday.

As he hauls the post van through surging floodwater, the rescuer can be heard saying: "Now this is the craziest thing I've done, now we're retrieving the postman on the car trailer."

"I don't know if you can see in the mirror, but the postie's on the back of the bloody trailer."

In later footage, the camera pans to show a red NZ Post van in a side mirror of Vernon's heavy vehicle.

"Don't worry, guys. The postie will still be on time," he laughs.

Vernon's tally of rescued vehicles included an Audi, BMW, two Nissans and a couple of vans.