Reporter and bystander save driver from sinking car in Queensland

A driver in a sinking car in Queensland, Australia, was pulled to safety by a television reporter and a bystander who saw the danger unfold.

Will Murray was reporting for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Morayfield, north of Brisbane, when a vehicle drove into deep floodwater on Buchanan Road. It stalled, began floating downstream and started to sink.

Murray called emergency services. When the driver disappeared from view, he handed his phone to camera operator Liz Pickering and swam towards the car. Daniel Hainey, who had been out with his family, also swam over to help.

The rescuers could not open the first door they tried. Murray eventually managed to open a rear passenger door, allowing the driver to reach the opening. Together, the two men pulled him to shallow water.

Murray said all three embraced, relieved to be safe. Emergency services arrived about 10 minutes after the rescue, he said.

The incident also showed how difficult it can be to judge floodwater’s depth. Murray said the water had not looked particularly severe, yet the car eventually disappeared beneath it. He urged people not to drive into floodwater, while the Queensland Fire Department advises residents not to swim in it.