An Australian television reporter who swam out to a sinking car and helped pull its driver to safety in floodwaters north of Brisbane has described the rescue as terrifying, Reuters reported on Friday. Will Murray, a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, was reporting on flooding in Queensland on Thursday when a man drove a four-wheel-drive vehicle through floodwater; it stalled and began to sink.

Source: Reuters

Murray and a bystander, Daniel Hainey, swam to the vehicle and pulled the driver out moments before it was completely submerged, Reuters said. Murray told Reuters he did not get the survivor's name, but hoped the man was doing well, adding that the relief of seeing him safe was 'one of the best moments of my life'.

The rescue came as intense storms dumped extreme rain across south-east Queensland. Gauges at Narangba and Morayfield, in the Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane, recorded more than 200 mm of rain, ABC News Australia reported, and the Bureau of Meteorology issued severe thunderstorm and flash-flood warnings for Brisbane and surrounding areas.

Source: ABC News Australia reporting

Emergency services in south-east Queensland responded to hundreds of distress calls on Thursday and Friday after more than 200 mm of rain caused flash flooding that closed roads and schools, Reuters reported. ABC reported almost 600 calls for help, more than a dozen school closures, and homes and businesses left without power in parts of the region.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Chris Stream said the State Emergency Service had received several hundred taskings and that members of the public had carried out rescues overnight, ABC reported. 'If it's flooded, forget it,' he said of driving through floodwater. A person was also rescued uninjured from floodwater at Elimbah, the report said.

Moreton Bay Regional Council placed Burpengary and Burpengary East on 'prepare to leave' notice as Burpengary Creek rose rapidly, and Brisbane City Council made free sandbags available at depots across the city. Forecasters warned the region would stay very wet in coming days, with a risk of further severe thunderstorms.