Police and DFES State Emergency Service volunteers responded to a floodwater rescue emergency in the Pentecost River last night, Friday 19 November 2022, after a 45-year-old man was located stranded on his submerged vehicle.
About 11:20pm a truck driver arrived at the crossing point along the Pentecost River, in Durack, and observed a man clinging to the top of a submerged vehicle about 100m into the river. It appears the stranded man had been travelling in a vehicle towing a camper trailer when he became stranded about 7:00pm.
Kununurra Police attended the scene under emergency conditions and upon arrival established it was too dangerous to enter the water. The water was flowing quite fast, and the deeper parts of the river are known to be infested with crocodiles.
The officers activated support from DFES State Emergency Service volunteers from Kununurra, who attended the scene with a flood boat. The SES volunteers deployed their vessel and rescued the man from his submerged vehicle. The man was returned to the road edge about 3:15am and was taken to Kununurra Hospital as a precaution, for a check-up.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services provides the following advice for residents and motorists who encounter floodwaters:
- Never walk or drive through floodwaters – this is extremely dangerous.
- Flood can take control of a four-wheel drive in just 30cm of flowing water.
- Never walk, swim or play in floodwaters – this is dangerous.
- Never assume that you will be safe because you are familiar with the roads – nine out of 10 floodwater deaths on WA roads involve a local motorist.
Further flood safety advice can be sourced here: https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/hazard-information/flood
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