SYDNEY: A helicopter pilot airlifted two men and a dog from the roof of a car engulfed in raging floodwaters in a dramatic rescue in northern Australia that was captured on video.
The driver, passenger and the sodden canine were trapped as white water from a flooded creek roared around the half-submerged vehicle on Wednesday (March 11), video images released by police and emergency services showed.
The drama unfolded in the remote locality of Manbulloo, near Katherine, after the car was swept off a highway following days of flooding in the region, police said on March 12.
A Heli-Muster R44 helicopter perched partly on the car roof as it picked up the two men and the pet dog, in white-knuckle scenes shared by the authorities on social media.
“A passing-by helicopter pilot dropped a police officer on top of the vehicle to help the stranded driver and passenger and then went back to retrieve their dog from the vehicle,” NT Emergency Service’s Katherine volunteer unit said in a social media post.
“Everyone is safe.”
Police in the territory praised the rescuers for saving the men and the dog – reportedly a German Shepherd.
“This was a life-threatening situation that goes to show just how quickly these flood waters can turn dangerous,” said Northern Territory Police incident controller Emma Carter. - AFP
