AUTHORITIES are investigating pranksters who used a mobile phone camera to capture a car being deliberately rolled off a cliff into the Murray River.
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NSW Maritime and the EPA will pursue a joint prosecution over the incident near Howlong earlier this month.
Both NSW Maritime and police have a copy of footage which has apparently been circulated by mobile phone around Howlong and further afield.
Staff from the Albury offices of NSW Maritime and the EPA went to the site last week to mark the position of the car and assess pollution concerns.
NSW Maritime Murray-Inland regional manager Scott Kidd, who was at the inspection, said the vehicle was not leaking fuel and there were no immediate environmental concerns.
The vehicle is in 4.5m to 5m of water near the NSW bank and does not represent a danger to boats navigating in the area.
The NSW Maritime patrol boat searched the area last week and found the car close to the bank in a strong current immediately upstream of a large snag.
The video footage was used to establish the point of entry with the car identified with sounding equipment on the boat.
Mr Kidd said it would be necessary for divers to look at the car’s position to work out the best plan of recovery.
It was likely the car was on its roof.
The car will be salvaged and recovery costs sought by NSW Maritime as part of legal proceedings, with costs expected to run into thousands of dollars.
“We will take all the action we can in regards to this matter” Mr Kidd said.
Police have confirmed at least four people were involved in dumping the car.
The car, a Mitsubishi Magna, belongs to a girlfriend of one of the people apparently involved in the dumping.
Howlong police officer Sen-Constable Lee McCarthy is investigating the incident and confirmed he has the footage.
The dumping happened at an area known as Redbank downstream from the Howlong township on March 1.
Sen-Constable McCarthy said he received complaints about how the car was being driven and it was seen at one stage doing “donuts”.
He believes the car was dumped between 2pm and 5pm.
