ABC reporter swims into flood to rescue driver at Moreton Bay

An ABC reporter covering the first big storm of the season has described jumping into floodwater at Moreton Bay, north of Brisbane, to help rescue a man from a sinking car.

Will Murray and his camera operator had travelled to the area after warnings of severe storms. Heavy rain had fallen that morning, and they set up at a park where floodwater covered the ground and a road ran through it.

Murray said a large four-wheel drive came up behind the crew and drove straight into the water. The crew had been filming at the site and had seen the water was deep, reaching the top of the road signs. They believed the driver would be in trouble quickly.

Within seconds the vehicle began to float and drift downstream, then started to sink. Murray told his camera operator to put the camera down and call paramedics, while he went into the water.

Another man who was at the scene also swam out to help. Together they pulled the driver from the vehicle before it sank beneath the surface. Murray said the rescue would not have succeeded without the bystander's help.

Murray was wearing his work clothes. He said he managed to remove his heavy RM Williams boots but could not shed his woollen pants and shirt, which dragged on him as they made their way to the car.

He told BBC News he had first hoped emergency services would arrive in time. When it became clear the driver could not get out and was sinking fast, he said there was no time to think. He said that watching a man drown would be hard to recover from, so he chose to try to help.

Murray said the driver was extremely relieved and the three men hugged, both in the water and after getting out. According to Murray, the driver said he had not seen the water and could not tell how deep it was. Murray said the man was terrified.

The footage of the rescue was shown on BBC News, where Murray spoke to the presenter about the incident.