Elderly resident rescued from a potentially fatal flooding incident
A 72-year-old woman has been rescued from her car with only moments to spare after she was swept off the road and trapped in neck-deep flood water during an extreme weather event.
Police responded to the elderly woman's triple zero call around 2:30 pm on Wednesday the 6th of July, after a flooded rural crossing in Collombatti, north of Kempsey on the NSW mid-north coast, swept her car downstream and wedged it in a line of trees.
In the panicked call she said she was trapped inside the car with water up to her chest.
A sergeant from Mid North Coast Police District used a 4WD winch cable as a safety line before entering the floodwater to find the vehicle.
The officer, with the help of five other police, opened the woman's car door as water began to reach her neck, this incident could've been fatal.
It is believed she was trapped in the car for about 45 minutes. She was then taken to the Kempsey Hospital where she was treated for hypothermia and exhaustion.
The officers were not injured during the incident and the command is considering recommending all officers to be recognised for their efforts.
About 60,000 people are still feeling the threat of widespread flooding in the Sydney, Hunter and mid-north coast regions following a week-long rain event.
Image: NSW Police