In a dramatic incident in northern Australia, a helicopter pilot airlifted two men and a dog from the roof of a car caught in raging floodwaters, footage released by authorities showed.
The driver, a passenger, and the soaked dog were trapped as fast-moving water from a flooded creek surged around the half-submerged vehicle on March 11, according to video images shared by police and emergency services.
The rescue took place in the remote area of Manbulloo, near Katherine, after the vehicle was swept off a highway amid several days of heavy flooding in the region, police reported on March 12.
A Heli-Muster R44 helicopter positioned partly on the car roof to evacuate the men and the canine, creating tense and dramatic scenes captured in the footage shared on social media by authorities.
“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,” the Northern Territory Emergency Service’s Katherine volunteer unit said in a social media post.
“Everyone is safe.”
Northern Territory Police commended the rescuers for their actions, noting that the dog, reportedly a German Shepherd, also survived the ordeal.
“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.
