It appeared a vehicle had driven off Tarraganda Lane and into the Bega River Anabranch, however the circumstances of where the vehicle was from and how it came to be in the water are still being looked into.

Detective Sergeant Justin Marks from Bega Police said information at this stage was the car may be stolen, but it was something police are continuing to investigate.

Members of the SES, Bega VRA, police officers and ambulance paramedics arrived on the scene about 2pm and a VRA diver was attempting, unsuccessfully, to gain a visual of the inside of the vehicle through dark water.

NBNCo workers laying cables across the bridge on Wednesday afternoon noticed the roof of what appeared to be an SUV or similar vehicle completely submerged. 

It was not until Thursday afternoon that the workers from Sydney realised it was not just a roof, but an entire vehicle under the water and called police.

“We’ve been working here all week,” one worker at the site said.

“We saw the skid marks by the river, but we thought someone had lowered a boat in there and it was just a canopy not a whole car.

“Then we saw it again today more clearly and realised what it was,” he said.

Oil bubbled to the surface as a VRA diver was unable to submerge himself in the freezing water, and even with multiple weights brought down to help sink him, his wetsuit did not allow him to get close enough to the vehicle’s windows.

After multiple failed attempts, the Westpac Life Saver Rescue helicopter arrived on the scene, but its rescue diver was still not able to gain a visual inside the car.

However, later Thursday afternoon, Detective Sergeant Marks said it appeared no-one was inside the vehicle and police divers would be securing the site in preparation for bringing the car out.

He said police would like to speak with anyone who may have seen a white Jeep Cherokee in the area in the last couple of days acting suspiciously.

Call Bega Police Station on 6492 9999.