A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand yesterday, setting off up to 100,000 landslides, evacuations, and a state of emergency for the hardest-hit areas.
Meanwhile, in a valley town a few hours north, Ben Todd woke up like it was Christmas morning. He looked through his window blinds, to see that his street was flooded from heavy rains from storms the day before. The road was under two meters of water. A neighbor told him that 10 inches of rain fell in 24 hours.
Since he obviously wasn’t going to work today — he’s a mechanical engineer, the NZ Herald reports — Ben rode this wave of inspiration without hesitation. In a homemade plastic and aluminum jet boat.
“I was just going for a burn,” he said of his jaunt around the block. “It had to be done.” Alright, Ben, burn on.
The boat has a plastic hull and an aluminum top, and is powered by a 1500cc car motor. It’s the perfect vehicle for blasting around your neighborhood streets on a rainy day. NZ Herald notes that his need for aquatic speed didn’t break the law, as he kept in his own lane on the correct side of the road, just in case a neighbor got the same bright idea.
After the first lap or two was successful, New Zealand’s Best Dad Ever loaded up his kids, five and four years old, for a spin.
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