Dad's 'hunch' led to son being found in wreck of car he crashed day earlier
A NSW parent's intuition has saved the life of a teenager who spent 24 hours trapped in the wreckage of his crashed car.
When Samuel Lethbridge didn't come home, his father took drastic action, hiring a helicopter to help search for him - and it paid off.
Inside the mangled mess of a car, the Central Coast 17-year-old boy was pinned under the dash and had been there for more than 24 hours.
He had last been seen by his family early on Sunday morning, but he had crashed heading north on the Pacific Highway at Crangan Bay, his car rolling down an embankment and out of sight.
When he didn't make it home he was reported missing, but his father had a gut feeling about where to search.
"An accident happened there about five years ago or something like that and it stuck in my mind," Tony Lethbridge said.
"And I thought the same thing, I thought, you know, I can't leave him out there without looking."
A helicopter was hired for the search and it was Sam's uncle Michael Lethbridge who eventually spotted the wreck.
"I was a little bit concerned about what I'd find, and I didn't really want to go, but as I got closer I seen Sam's head move," he said.
Sam remains in hospital suffering from dehydration and badly broken bones.
Paramedics can't believe he survived overnight on his own with such severe injuries.
He will eventually need surgery and months of rehab, but his family are certain he'll make a full recovery.
"It was a very extensive rescue, very difficult access, very difficult extraction of the patient and very very lucky that the young fella is still alive," NSW Ambulance spokesman Jeff Atkins said.
Sam's father is just happy that is son is alive, and back with his family, thanks to his gut instinct.
