A fluffy little dog has been blamed for a drinking driver backing into the sea.

It will no doubt be part of his explanation when he appears in the district court after the incident near Duvauchelle just after midnight last Thursday.

Senior Constable Tim Johnson said a small white fluffy dog, which was in the car, appears to have distracted the driver.

"They've backed out of an address and it appears that a small dog in the vehicle might have got between the driver's legs and they've reversed back over the seawall."

The Toyota Rav4 was left teetering with its back axle in the water.

The 47-year-old driver and his passenegrs were able to get out of the vehicle.

Akaroa Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Mark Thomson said if the vehicle had gone into the sea an hour later, it would have been nearly high tide and the trio would probably have drowned.

"They were very lucky . . . if the water was any higher and the car had flipped upside down, they would have drowned because they wouldn't have been able to get themselves out."