While Australian drivers have seen the likes of birds and rabbits hiding in their cars, or perhaps even spiders and snakes, one Queensland tradie recently stumbled upon an unusual hitchhiker when fixing a customer’s car.
Dean Dalgleish, a Townsville mechanic, posted a video on the social media platform TikTok to share his unusual discovery.
In the 40-second video, Dalgleish showcased footage of a deceased fish trapped under the vehicle’s fan, with the sea mullet causing what appears to be a Holden Cruze to overheat.
“I was quite shocked when I first noticed the fish tail hanging out of the car, it was definitely a first for me,” Dalgleish told Drive.
“The customer later told me that she had driven through some flood waters near one of the local rivers, she stopped momentarily behind another car, so maybe it got in then, she was not aware of it when she brought it in.
“The fish had just got caught and had stopped the fan from turning, so this was the only issue with the car. Once it was removed, I ran some tests, but ultimately the car was running fine, but smelt fishy,” he added.
Commenters were quick to share their light-hearted responses, with one user stating: “I bought a boat, rods, bait and all the gear and [people] out here catching fish with cars".
Another TikTok commenter added, “[The] damn car catches more fish than me”.
In recent weeks, parts of North Queensland have been ravaged by torrential rain caused by monsoons, with some coastal cities such as Townsville and Ingham among the most affected.
In February 2025, a report by the Guardian stated major road networks across the state have been closed, with places like Townsville forced to close traffic from the north and south while access to the town has been limited to large vehicles.
Certain stretches of road along the Bruce Highway – an important 1673km arterial that connects Brisbane to Cairns – have also been damaged by severe weather conditions.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
