Two Darwin residents were forced to spend nine hours on the roof of their car surrounded by crocodile-infested water after their vehicle was stranded in the flood.
Rescuers spent all of Saturday evening rescuing the couple after their Landcruiser was trapped trying to cross the River Dingo Station west of the Northern Territory capital.
When the intersection was flooded, the car was flooded as it drove through the passage around 9 p.m. The water rose to the windows, causing the internal electrical system to fail. The couple sought safety on their car while waiting for rescue.
However, the police and seven rescue workers were initially unable to send their boat to the vehicle because it was too big for the depth of the water.
They were finally able to reach the couple around 6 a.m. on Easter Sunday after sending a smaller boat to their car.
A Northern Territory police spokeswoman told the Guardian the couple lived in Darwin, and they were lucky because “there was every chance there was crocodile” around the cars.
She said officers did not spot any crocodiles during the rescue and found it was dark and difficult to see.
“It was definitely right in crocodile land,” she said.
In a previous statement, police said: “The incident serves as a timely reminder for motorists to avoid driving in flooded waterways, especially if the water depth is unknown.”
“Boats are for waterways, cars are for roads.”
