A missing toddler who stowed away in his
grandfather's trailer went on a wild 20km ride across the Tasman
District before being discovered.
The West Coast man drove off
from a family member's home near the summit of the Takaka Hill shortly
after 11am on Thursday, towing a trailer.
Unbeknown to him, the trailer was carrying precious cargo - his two-year-old grandson, who lived at the Takaka Hill property.
The
small boy was obscured from his granddad's view, but several members of
the public spotted the toddler sitting in the trailer and called
police.
The man drove down the winding hill and all the way to Motueka before stopping - and was met by police.
Motueka police Senior Sergeant Grant Andrews says the grandfather was horrified when he discovered what had happened.
"He immediately phoned the boy's parents, who were looking for the child," Snr Sgt Andrews says.
The toddler was unharmed during his adventure.
NZN