A woman pulled from floodwaters by NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers during severe weather in April has thanked her rescuers in an emotional reunion.
Soad Khaled was struggling to keep her head above water in raging flash flooding near Dapto, in the Illawarra region, on April 6 when NSW SES flood rescue experts swept into action and pulled her to safety.
NSW SES Wollongong Unit member Joshua Hurst and Dapto Unit members Justin Thomsen and Michael Nairn launched an ark angel to rescue Ms Khaled.
after her vehicle got stuck in floodwaters, and she became trapped by a tree.
"As soon as the car stopped, the water was coming through the car up to my feet and I thought, oh my God, at this point I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I told myself, no, get out of this, get out of this! I said a prayer," she recalled of the rescue.
"(A bystander) tried to help and he got me to a tree. While we were up in a tree, I was standing on a crate or a box, and because the water was so strong, I actually slipped, and my leg got caught under a branch.
"Next thing you know, he's holding my head up, saying, 'you'll be fine, you'll be fine, you'll be fine'. I said, no, I don't think I can."
In an emotional reunion in Wollongong, Ms Khaled thanked the skilled flood rescue operators, telling them: "I don't think I would have made it without you".
"Because I have really bad asthma, I didn't know if I would make it or not. My eyes were shutting, I was hyperventilating, I couldn't do it anymore," Ms Khaled said.
"I couldn't even speak out the words and all I see is a serious crew coming over to us. (An SES volunteer) pulled me up and was getting me into the watercraft. I immediately just hugged him and thanked him for what he'd done. I honestly don't think I would have made it through that day, and I couldn't be more grateful for what he did for me."
The wild weekend of weather saw more than 200 millimetres of rain fall across the Illawarra in a 24-hour period from April 5 to 6, with volunteers in the region responding to almost 1000 incidents due to storm damage and significant flash flooding.
This included 87 flood rescues in the South Eastern Zone, where roads were inundated, and properties were cut off.
NSW SES Dapto volunteer and flood rescue operator Justin Thompsen said being able to reunite with someone they had rescued made all the time spent training worthwhile.
"The spare time we give up training is worth it, because reunions like this really do confirm that if we had not been there for her on that day, she wouldn't be here now," Mr Hurst said.
NSW SES Acting Commissioner Debbie Platz APM said the rescue of Ms Khaled, and the numerous other rescues completed during the April weather event, were an example of the dedication and skills possessed by NSW SES volunteers.
"Our volunteers often throw themselves into danger to rescue others from floodwaters, and they're constantly training and learning hydraulics of floodwaters to ensure they are well equipped for whatever may come their way," Acting Commissioner Platz said.
"I commend the volunteers involved in the rescue of Soad, and all volunteers undertaking rescues, and thank them for their courageous efforts on that day to ensure everyone got back to dry land safely."
Ms Khaled spent several weeks recovering in hospital but is now in full health.
"Honestly, that day was one of the worst, but one of the most blessed days I've ever had in my life because it reassured me that there are actually people out there willing to help, not even getting even paid for it," she said.
"The volunteers, they're doing it out of their own time and I couldn't be more grateful for them all that day."
