Five officers involved in the rescue of a 72 year old woman in a flooded causeway have been commended for their actions.
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The officers from the Mid North Coast Police District were directed to the scene Wednesday (July 6) afternoon when the woman's SUV was swept off the causeway and became wedged against a line of trees.
Inspector Vince Nicholls said that he was very proud of the officers involved.
"I think its a great example of good teamwork with the police and the other emergency services that responded," he said.
The woman had left her address to get urgent medication for her husband when she was caught in the floodwater.
Police reached the scene before other emergency services, made access through the doorway after the car window failed to break and safely removed the woman from her car.
Sergeant Brad Smith who led the rescue, agreed that it was a stressful situation.
"Police go to work everyday and put themselves in different and precarious positions and that was a day where we went to work and probably just had to work a little bit harder."
Senior Constable Steven Jeffrey said the rescue was also thanks to the help of other emergency services.
"We had quite a number of emergency service personnel that day to support so it was a team effort," he said.
"Sadly we've lost a number of lives this year in floodwaters where people have gone through and they've driven through."
The woman has since been reunited with her husband after being discharged from Kempsey Base Hospital where she had been treated for hypothermia and exhaustion.
Sergeant Smith recommended that Mid-North Coast locals heed warnings from the SES. ad this advice for mid-north coast locals.
"We just ask the public to heed the warnings and not drive through floodwaters"