Australiaupdated 31m ago2 min read
Queensland Fire Department Rescues 24-Year-Old From Completely Submerged Mazda CX-30 Near Noosa
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ABC journalist Will Murray rescued a driver from a sinking Mazda CX-30 in Morayfield. The rescue occurred during flooding on Buchanan Road north of Brisbane.
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Sinking car near Noosa
Emergency services pulled a 24-year-old man from a completely submerged Mazda CX-30 by his hair during a flood rescue near Noosa, after crews were called to Doonan just before 7pm on Friday. Officer Ben Walker from the Queensland Fire Department told Today the car was “completely submerged” as emergency services reached the vehicle, and Walker said, “He’d basically taken his last breath.” Queensland Police released footage of a search for a vehicle swept away in Laidley, where crews found a man in his 40s alive in the water an hour later.
Police reiterated a strict warning for motorists to stay clear of flooded roads, and they warned that drivers who enter floodwaters can face fines of up to $800. The storm dumped upwards of 300 millimetres of rain across parts of the region, and flood warnings remained active for parts of the region including Warrill Creek at Harrisville, Amberley, Rosewood, and localised catchments around Moreton Bay.
ABC reporter rescues driver
Will Murray, an ABC reporter, interrupted his live broadcast about floods in Queensland in Morayfield, north of Brisbane, after a four-wheel drive came through Buchanan Road, stalled, and began to sink. Murray recalled that he rang Triple Zero after seeing the driver’s car start floating downstream, and he told the broadcaster, “I saw him drive in and immediately his car started floating downstream, so I rang Triple Zero.” Murray handed the phone to camera operator Liz Pickering, and Murray said he then swam out when the driver disappeared from view, adding, “I made the call to jump in.”
Daniel Hainey, a bystander, also jumped in, and Murray and Hainey tried the nearest door before Murray opened the rear passenger door by bracing his feet and pulling until it swung open. Emergency services arrived about ten minutes after the rescue, and Murray said the driver had not seen the warning signs and that “the car completely disappears.”
Warnings, calls, and aftermath
Reuters said emergency services in south-east Queensland responded to hundreds of distress calls on Thursday and Friday after more than 200 mm (7.9 inches) of rain caused flash flooding that closed roads and schools. Reuters quoted Murray saying, “It was terrifying,” and Murray added, “there are few better feelings” than saving a person’s life. The Queensland Fire Department advised residents not to swim in floodwater, and Murray’s warning was clear, “Please don’t drive into floodwaters.”
The Queensland Fire Department has repeatedly warned residents about the dangers of floodwater and advises them to follow safety guidelines including “For life-threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000).” The rescue ended without casualties, and the driver was pulled clear into shallower water moments before the vehicle was completely submerged.