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| Australian father's instinct helps find trapped son | Australian father's instinct helps find trapped son |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| An Australian teenager has been found alive in a car wreck after his father made an intuitive decision to search for him in a helicopter. | |
| Samuel Lethbridge, 17, was trapped for 30 hours after his car left a New South Wales highway on Sunday, police said. | Samuel Lethbridge, 17, was trapped for 30 hours after his car left a New South Wales highway on Sunday, police said. |
| His family had become concerned and alerted police when he failed to arrive at a friend's house that day. | His family had become concerned and alerted police when he failed to arrive at a friend's house that day. |
| Tony Lethbridge then decided to hire a helicopter after recalling a local car accident from "about five years ago". | Tony Lethbridge then decided to hire a helicopter after recalling a local car accident from "about five years ago". |
| "Unfortunately that bloke passed away because nobody found him within five days, and I wasn't going to let that happen [to Samuel]," he told local network Channel Seven. | "Unfortunately that bloke passed away because nobody found him within five days, and I wasn't going to let that happen [to Samuel]," he told local network Channel Seven. |
| Mr Lethbridge said he suspected his son was in trouble because his disappearance was out of character. | Mr Lethbridge said he suspected his son was in trouble because his disappearance was out of character. |
| "So we went and hired the helicopter straight away and found him within 10 minutes," he said. | "So we went and hired the helicopter straight away and found him within 10 minutes," he said. |
| The family spotted the wreckage about 20m (65ft) off a road in Crangan Bay, 100km (62 miles) north of Sydney. | The family spotted the wreckage about 20m (65ft) off a road in Crangan Bay, 100km (62 miles) north of Sydney. |
| Emergency crews took more than an hour to remove the teenager from the car, where he had been trapped under the dashboard. | Emergency crews took more than an hour to remove the teenager from the car, where he had been trapped under the dashboard. |
| The teenager was taken to hospital with multiple fractures and remains in a serious condition, authorities said. | The teenager was taken to hospital with multiple fractures and remains in a serious condition, authorities said. |
| "He is very lucky to be alive," said Inspector Jeff Atkins, from New South Wales Ambulance. | "He is very lucky to be alive," said Inspector Jeff Atkins, from New South Wales Ambulance. |
| Police said they were investigating the crash. | Police said they were investigating the crash. |