Australian journalist covering floods rescues driver from sinking car
ABC reporter Will Murray and a bystander pulled a driver out of a car that began sinking on a flooded road in Morayfield, north of Brisbane, Australia.
Will Murray, a journalist with Australia's public broadcaster ABC, was on his way to prepare a report on flooding when he helped save a driver from a sinking car on Thursday, 22 October. He acted together with a bystander in Morayfield, a locality north of the Australian east-coast city of Brisbane, according to Reuters and ABC.
A man driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle had entered a flooded section of road. The car stalled, began to float with the current and then started to sink. Murray called the emergency rescue service, but when the driver disappeared from his view, he jumped into the water. Daniel Heiney went to help as well.
Door opened on second attempt
At first the car doors would not open, and the two men considered smashing the rear window. Murray then managed to wrench open one of the rear doors. The driver reached the opening, and the two men pulled him to safety. Shortly afterwards the vehicle went fully under water.
The rescue was filmed by ABC camera operator Liza Pickering. She has no doubt that the two men saved the driver's life.
The driver's account
The driver later said he had not noticed the warning signs and had not realised how deep the water was. The journalist also acknowledged that from the side the situation had not looked so dangerous. After the rescue, all three embraced in relief.
