ABC reporter recounts flood rescue of driver near Brisbane

ABC reporter Will Murray has described the moments he dived into floodwater near Brisbane to help rescue a driver whose ute was sinking, calling the experience "terrifying" but saying it ended happily.

Murray and a camera operator colleague were at the edge of a park filming floodwaters after a heavy rain event when a ute came over a rise behind them and drove into the water. Within seconds the vehicle began to float, then sink and drift downstream. Murray said it took roughly 15 to 20 seconds from floating to starting to sink, and that the incident was captured on camera even though the camera operator was not standing at the camera at the time.

The pair called triple zero immediately. As the vehicle sank further, Murray said they decided there was no time to wait for help. He took off his shoes, handed his glasses to his colleague and swam out. A man nearby, believed to be a local, jumped in to assist.

Murray said the driver's side window was too far under water to see through and that door would not open. He climbed onto the ute tray and looked through the back window, where water was at about the driver's shoulder to chin level and the vehicle was angled downward. He then moved to the passenger side and braced with his feet and arms to pull the door. Once it opened slightly, water rushed in and he was able to open it fully.

Murray said the driver stayed relatively calm and was able to get out through the rear door. He said the rescuers knew they had only seconds, because once the vehicle was fully submerged the doors would be extremely hard to open.

He said he did not know the other rescuer, who appeared "out of nowhere" ready to swim, and credited his presence with giving him confidence to try another way into the vehicle after the first door would not open.

Murray said the driver told him he had not seen any signage and had no idea how deep the water was. The road was not closed at the time. Murray said the water did not look particularly severe, but the vehicle disappeared completely, showing it was very deep in the middle. The group waited about 10 minutes for emergency services to arrive.

Murray said the adrenaline was still high when he spoke and that the rescuers hugged for some time afterwards. He said the experience had reinforced to him that he would never drive through floodwater.