Campervan spotted in Macquarie River near Orange at crossing

Orange resident Colin Young said he saw the vehicle in the water when he visited Dixons Long Point Crossing near Mullion Creek on Saturday.

He said it was still there on Monday and he reported it to Orange police on Tuesday.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said a crew was sent to investigate the scene on Wednesday.

Mr Young said there was no sign of the driver when he first saw the van.

However, he said he did see a green kayak on the shore which he said the driver might have used to escape the vehicle after it was caught in the river flow.

"It's a dangerous crossing particularly when the flow is so high," he said.

Mr Young said the water was up to the windows of the vehicle when he first saw it indicating how deep the river was at the crossing.

"It was quite a shock when we drove down there on Saturday. I went 'woah' this is a bit unusual," he said.

Mr Young said while the vehicle was facing toward the Mudgee/Hill End side of the river he did not believe it had driven from the other side.

"I think it came from the Hill End side and it had been swept off the causeway and it has been twisted around.

"It's a bit sad for whoever owns it."

Mr Young said when he contacted police they told him they had not received any previous notifications of the incident.

He said the vehicle had drums and jerry cans attached to it and looked like it might be a backpacker's vehicle.

A spokeswoman for Cabonne Shire Council said they looked after the south side of the river.

"The southern side of Dixons Long Point Crossing is the responsibility of Cabonne Council. The northern side is the responsibility of Mid-Western Regional Council. Cabonne Council has not been notified of this incident," she said.

"If the vehicle is in the road reserve and is unregistered, council is able to remove it.

"If the vehicle is registered, registration must expire before it is able to be moved. In this case, the owner of the vehicle will be contacted and the owner's insurer will be notified of the event."

Mid-Western Regional Council was contacted.

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