Shortly before midday a Triple Zero call was received by police from an unknown motorist who observed a distressed driver and his vehicle caught in floodwaters on Clark Street at Clifton.
Sergeant Guy Smidt from Clifton Station attended the area known as the Black Gully causeway to find a vehicle stranded in deep floodwater. The 19-year-old Toowoomba man and his vehicle were on the verge of being washed off the causeway and down the creek.
With little time left to act the police officer, with the assistance of the QFRS, risked his own life to reach the trapped driver with a rope. QFRS then dragged the driver and the police officer to safety. Both men were uninjured.
A very short time later the vehicle was washed off the causeway and was completely submerged. Situations like these highlight the dangers of attempting to cross flooded causeways. Floodwaters are unpredictable and can rise and fall rapidly, quickly inundating vehicles and putting the lives of occupants and rescue workers at risk.
“This young man could have very easily been swept into the flooded creek and we could have had a tragedy on our hands,” Sergeant Smidt from Clifton police said. “We cannot stress enough the dangers of driving in wet conditions and the dangers of floodwaters that can rise without warning.
The 19-year-old has been issued with a Notice to Appear for driving without due care and attention. He is to appear at the Warwick Magistrates Court on January 25.
Issued by Police Media
Media and Public Affairs Branch
