Couple relieved to be alive after camper trailer stolen while inside asleep on Victoria's Great Oce

Couple relieved to be alive after camper trailer stolen while inside asleep on Victoria's Great Ocean Road

A Victorian man says he is relieved to be alive after his four-wheel drive and camper trailer were stolen early Sunday morning while he and his partner were sleeping inside.

Key points:
A Victorian couple has recalled the terrifying moment their four-wheel drive was stolen while they were sleeping in an attached camper trailer
Brock Momcilovic held onto the trailer while the alleged offender drove 8km along the Great Ocean Road towards Lorne
Mr Momcilovic advised other campers not to leave their car keys in the ignition while sleeping
Wallan couple Brock Momcilovic and Jedha Kinder decided to park at a rest stop near Cumberland River along the Great Ocean Road on Saturday night after a long day of driving.

The couple and their two dogs were sleeping in a trailer attached to their four-wheel drive when Ms Kinder heard their car engine start just before midnight.

She jumped off the bed into the annex area between the car and the camper trailer, while Mr Momcilovic was thrown backwards.

"By the time I'd realised what was happening, the car was already moving," he told Virginia Trioli.

The four-wheel drive and the camper trailer travelled about 200 metres before Ms Kinder fell out of the annex and onto the road.

Their two dogs jumped from the camper trailer too.

But Mr Momcilovic held on while the car screeched along the windy Great Ocean Road towards Lorne.

While he could not tell how fast he was going, he knew it was unsafe to escape.

"I sort of just laid there because I thought it was a dream," he told Virginia Trioli on ABC Radio Melbourne.

But reality quickly set in, and Mr Momcilovic realised his phone was still within reach.

"I rang triple-0 while I was holding on," he said.

"I was actually on Google Maps while on the phone to the operator telling her where we were heading."

At the same time, he had no idea whether Ms Kinder and their dogs were safe.

"I was worried if I fell off, I was going to be pretty well done," he said.

"But I was more worried about my partner and dogs because I didn't know what happened to them — they could have been run over by the trailer."

Finally, the four-wheel drive broke down after the clutch gave way.

Mr Momcilovic had held onto the camper trailer for 8km by this point, and the car was travelling slow enough for him to jump.

The vehicle and camper trailer were then found abandoned further along the road near the Lorne Police Station.

Thankfully no-one was seriously hurt. Ms Kinder suffered gravel rash and bruising from falling on to the road, while their two dogs were later found safe.

And while Mr Momcilovic was disappointed his vehicle had to be towed and his camping gear had been destroyed, he was glad everyone was safe.

"I've lost all my camping gear, my trailer's completely written off," he said.

"But everyone's alive — that's all that matters to me."

Police are investigating the incident and the alleged offender has not been caught yet.

But in the meantime, Mr Momcilovic has some advice for anyone out on a camping holiday.

"Don't leave your keys in the car," he said.

"It could have been a lot worse."

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam or CCTV footage, or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online. #australia #russia #unitedkingdom #unitedstates #usa