Six people who were stranded in rising flood waters west of Alice Springs have been airlifted to safety by Northern Territory Police this morning.
Two helicopters were deployed at first light to conduct a search and rescue for two separate parties whose vehicles had become either stranded or swept away in the flood waters of the Hugh River, west of Alice Springs late yesterday.
A 30-year-old man, whose vehicle became stranded on a sand island in the Hugh River after a camping weekend at Birthday Waterhole, was located and airlifted to safety first.
The man’s female companion raised the alarm after she hiked from the bogged vehicle to Namatjira Drive and hitchhiked into town and alerted police just after 6pm.
The man, who had stayed with the vehicle and had food and water, had no injuries.
Further aerial observations of the area located a 59-year-old man, who was stranded in his vehicle between the Hugh River and another flooded river to the west. Due to the potential for further rainfall in the area, the man was airlifted to safety.
Four men had a lucky escape from a vehicle which was washed off the Ellery Creek causeway by flood waters as they attempted to cross it.
The men told police they had to use a shovel to smash the windows of the vehicle after water shorted out the car’s electronics and they couldn’t wind the windows down to get out. The men managed to get out of the vehicle before it was completely submerged.
All four men escaped uninjured, but did not have any food or water with them and alerted police via sat-phone at 11:18pm yesterday. An assessment was made and determined the men were safe to remain by the side of the road overnight, without putting members at risk to cross several flooded rivers to get them.
It was extremely fortunate the weather subsided enough to allow two Alice Springs Helicopters to be deployed to recover these people.
Southern Region Assistant Commissioner, Martin Dole said police and emergency service personnel have responded to nine search and rescue operations since the start of the year.
“We have conducted nine search and rescue operations since January 1, 2022, which is a considerable amount of work undertaken by front line members and volunteer emergency service personnel,” said AC Dole
“A lot of police resources are invested into each operation in order locate and recover missing people. It is frustrating that people continue to disregard the warnings we issue about travelling during severe weather events as such as these.
