***PLEASE NOTE: NSWPF-branded vision of the rescue is available via the following hightail link – https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/OiL0xVa2Lj/dXMtYWM2ODBlMzctMTAwYi00OTJjLWFhMTctZWMxNjY2Yjg3NmM3
Collombatti is pronounced "column-BATTY"
Another driver has been rescued by police after a SUV was swept off a flooded rural causeway, 15km north of Kempsey, yesterday.
The 72-year-old woman became trapped inside her car just before 2pm (Wednesday 6 July 2022),
with water chest-deep after it was swept downstream.
The woman called Triple Zero (000) when she was unable to get out of the car, which had become wedged against a line of trees.
Officers from Mid North Coast Police District were first on scene and used a winch cable from a police 4WD as a safety line attached to a sergeant, who entered the floodwaters and made his way to the semi-submerged vehicle.
He found the woman trapped inside with water inside the vehicle now neck-high. He was able to open the door and he, and five other officers, worked together to bring her safely back to land.
Police then drove the local woman to Kempsey Hospital where she has been treated for hypothermia and exhaustion. It's believed she'd been trapped for 45 minutes.
The officers were not injured during the incident.
The command is now looking at recommending all officers to be recognised for their efforts.
