An Australian TV journalist and bystander are being hailed as heroes after leaping into action to rescue a driver seconds before his car sank into deep floodwaters.
ABC journalist Will Murray was reporting from Morayfield, Queensland, when he saw a vehicle drive past him into the water.
Murray — still wearing his suit shirt and slacks — leapt into the water and swam to the sinking Nissan Navara to join another bystander in helping the man as the cameras rolled on.
"We knew we only had a few seconds. You know, I didn't speak to the other man who was there, but I know he was thinking the same thing. You know, we have to smash this back window because, in 10 seconds' time, he's going to go fully under," Murray explained.
The pair could be seen attempting to smash the back window to no avail, before Murray pressed his feet against the passenger side, yanking open the back door and rescuing its driver seconds before the car goes fully under.
He told ABC that when it became clear the car was sinking very fast "there was no thinking involved", because the man might have drowned.
More than 170mm of rain fell in the area an hour's drive north of Brisbane, with the driver telling Murray he "didn't realise how deep it was".
"He was saying, you know, he didn't see the the signage."
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including connections between gangs and politicians cause more election drama, a speedy rescue in Australian floods, and why Donald Trump's angry at LeBron James. (Source: 1News)
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