A Morayfield news assignment turns into a rescue
· BehindLines newsroom
In Morayfield, north of Brisbane, a driver was pulled from his vehicle as it sank on a flooded road on Thursday, October 22. ABC journalist Will Murray and a passer-by took part in the rescue. Reuters reported the intervention using footage of the scene and the Australian broadcaster’s account.
Reporting interrupted
The television crew had arrived to cover the flooding. According to ABC, the driver entered the water on Buchanan Road in his four-wheel drive before the vehicle stalled and began drifting. Murray said he first called emergency services, then handed his phone to colleague Liz Pickering when he lost sight of the driver.
The journalist and the passer-by, Daniel Hainey, swam to the car. Their intervention brought the man out before the vehicle went under, ABC reported. Pickering filmed the scene. The broadcaster’s account therefore includes testimony from members of its own team who were directly involved in what happened.
The Reuters report describes footage of the journalist and another man extracting the driver. The agency also cites ABC’s report of about 170 millimetres of rain in Morayfield by the time of the incident. That figure describes the conditions reported during the rescue, rather than providing a final assessment of the severe weather.
Safety advice still applies
When consulted on October 23, Queensland’s official disaster portal flagged intense rainfall in the state’s southeast and directed readers to weather warnings and road information. Queensland authorities remind people to stay out of floodwater, whether driving, walking or swimming.
The Get Ready Queensland flood FAQ explains why a submerged road can be deceptive: water may conceal damaged road surfaces or debris, and its depth is difficult to judge. The rescue reported by ABC does not change this public advice on avoiding danger.