The scary moment a car carrying backpackers' stuff falls off ferry and drifts out to sea

LONDON -- A rental car containing backpackers' mobile phones, passports, bank cards, and other valuables fell off a ferry and drifted out to sea off the shore of Fraser Island, Australia, on New Year's Eve.

The car -- which had no passengers in it at the time -- rolled off a car ferry between Inskip Point and Fraser Island at around 10:00 a.m.

The backpackers were headed to the island to ring in the new year. Dramatic footage posted on Facebook by 9 News Brisbane shows the moment the car fell off the ferry before it drifted out to sea.

Katrina Lawrence -- whose vehicle was parked next to the one that rolled off -- told ABC that the ferry's bridge was still open when the car began rolling backwards.

"We were behind our car and my husband called out that the car next to us was rolling. It was rolling back to the bridge which was still down," said Lawrence.

"A young guy tried to grab it by the bull bar but he didn't have much luck."

According to Lawrence, the car rolled off the back off the ferry and into the water where it floated for around 30 seconds before sinking slightly. Chloe Swift -- part of the same backpacker group -- told ABC it was a "really sad and scary start" to their trip to Fraser Island. "There were a lot of girls obviously crying. Their phones and everything are in the car that sunk," she said.

"The people who have lost their stuff have to go back to the hostel and borrow stuff they have lost," Swift continued.

Here's hoping 2017 will bring better luck for the backpackers.