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WATCH: ABC Reporter Dives Into Floodwaters To Save Man From Sinking SUV In Dramatic Clip
An Australian television reporter became an unlikely hero Thursday when he abandoned his flood coverage and plunged into dangerous waters to help rescue a terrified driver trapped inside a sinking SUV.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter Will Murray and bystander Daniel Hainey sprang into action after watching a vehicle become submerged in rapidly rising floodwaters near Brisbane.
The dramatic rescue unfolded on Buchanan Road in Morayfield, Queensland, where torrential rainfall had transformed a roadway into a dangerous stretch of deep water.
According to ABC News, the driver attempted to cross the flooded road at speed before his vehicle stalled and began sinking.
Murray, who was covering the severe weather alongside camera operator Liz Pickering, witnessed the frightening incident unfold.
Within seconds, the situation turned desperate.
“Initially I could see him, but he disappeared from my sight within seconds, so I made the call to jump in,” Murray told ABC.
The reporter handed his phone to Pickering after contacting emergency services and rushed into the floodwaters.
WATCH: A TV reporter dives into raging floodwaters to save a driver trapped inside a sinking SUV, pulling the person to safety just moments before the vehicle disappears underwater.
ABC journalist Will Murray and another bystander swim toward the vehicle in Morayfield, Australia, first attempting to smash the rear windshield before managing to open a side door and get the driver out.
The dramatic rescue comes as nearly 7 inches of rain trigger flooding and warnings across the area.
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Hainey, who had been nearby with his family, also entered the water after realizing someone was trapped inside the vehicle.
The two men swam toward the sinking SUV, but their rescue attempt immediately encountered a serious obstacle.
The driver’s door would not open.
With water rising around the vehicle, Murray maneuvered to the opposite side while Hainey helped free the trapped motorist.
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“We could see he was struggling, the water was very high. I went around the other side and managed to put my feet up against the side of the car and we dragged him out,” Murray told the Sydney Morning Herald.
The terrifying ordeal could have ended in tragedy if the two men had arrived moments later.
“His car just disappeared within a couple of minutes of getting out. You could no longer see the car – [it] completely vanished,” Murray said.
Despite the danger, the rescue ended with an emotional moment as the three men embraced in the floodwaters.
Murray later explained that the driver had badly misjudged the depth of the water and was overwhelmed by what had happened.
“We gave him a big hug. I think there’s a few scenes of us hugging both in the water and then when we got out,” Murray told the BBC. “He just said he didn’t see it, he couldn’t tell how deep the water was. Yeah, he was terrified. Rightfully so.”
The reporter credited Hainey with helping make the rescue possible, telling the BBC he was “very, very appreciative of him.”
Hainey initially had no idea anyone was inside the submerged vehicle until he noticed movement near one of its windows.
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Realizing the driver was in immediate danger, he joined Murray in the water without hesitation.
Hainey later described the rescued motorist as “very, very lucky.”
Emergency responders arrived approximately 10 minutes after the rescue and assessed the driver at the scene.
According to Murray, the man did not require transportation to a hospital.
Pickering, who witnessed the incident while filming the unfolding emergency, praised both men for their extraordinary actions.
“The pair of them definitely saved that man’s life,” she told ABC. “No doubt about that.”
The rescue came as southeastern Queensland endured severe rainfall that left roads inundated and created dangerous driving conditions.
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology reported approximately 9.8 inches of rain in Morayfield over a 24-hour period, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Such conditions can make ordinary roads treacherous, particularly when floodwaters conceal the depth of submerged sections.
The incident serves as a stark reminder that attempting to drive through floodwaters can turn deadly within seconds.
For Murray, what began as another assignment covering severe weather quickly became a life-or-death emergency.
Instead of simply documenting the unfolding disaster, the reporter and a quick-thinking bystander risked their own safety to save a stranger.
And thanks to their split-second decision, a terrifying encounter with a sinking vehicle ended with three men safely embracing rather than another flood-related tragedy.
