Gympie carpenter rescues Qld couple from floodwater in darkness

Dashcam footage has captured the moment a young carpenter braved waist-high flood waters in darkness to rescue a terrified couple trapped in their car. WATCH THE VIDEO:

A young carpenter says he did not hesitate to wade into the muddy waters of a flooded Gympie creek early Friday morning, after driving around a corner in the darkness to come upon a submerged car.

Neerdie’s Matt Forrest, 22, was driving to work on at 5.30am when he rounded a corner on Anderleigh Road near Kia Ora to see a Hyundai i30 stuck in floodwaters on Cowies Bridge, about 25km northeast of Gympie.

The car’s front end was entirely submerged and the water was more than halfway up the back wheels of the car, which had been pushed to the side of the road by the force of the water.

“It was just floating there,” Mr Forrest said.

The flooding was caused by heavy rainfall in the previous 48 hours, including 171mm at Goomboorian.

Neerdie’s Matt Forrest, 22, was driving to work on at 5.30am on Friday when he rounded a corner on Anderleigh Road to see a Hyundai i30 stuck in floodwaters on Cowies Bridge, about 25km northeast of Gympie.

The deluge sparked flash flooding across the Gympie region.

Mr Forrest initially thought the car was empty, until he saw the reverse lights flash, and realised he was watching an emergency unfold.

With only his headlights for illumination in the pre-dawn darkness, he jumped out of his own car and walked into the water dressed in his work shirt, shorts, and thongs.

Footage caught on Matt Forrest’s dashcam shows the 22-year-old wade into the waters, which quickly rise from ankle deep to knee deep and then, near the stranded car, become waist high.

Footage from Mr Forrest’s dashcam shows him wade out towards the car, with the water going from ankle deep to knee deep and then waist deep.

When he reached the car he found Gerry and Anne trying to smash their front windscreen out to escape.

“I asked ‘are you guys all right?’” Mr Forrest said.

Their reply was a simple plea: “Don’t leave us!”.

In the footage, Mr Forrest grabs the door handle and pulls, at which point the car itself moves closer towards him in the floodwater.

The door does not budge.

Matt Forrest, pictured with his partner Eryn Rodgers, said he was concerned about what could be in the floodwater but he did not think twice about helping the couple.

He can be seen bracing his feet against the car and trying again.
After about 40 seconds the door finally cracks open, allowing Mr Forrest to slip his hands inside and leverage it open further, finally freeing the couple.

“It was pretty difficult,” he said.

“When I got to open the door, the car was spinning on me.”

Anne was the first to clamber out with her belongings, followed by her husband.

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Speaking a few hours after it unfolded, Matt Forrest - pictured here with a very relieved Gerry and Anne - said he drove the couple back to his house, then went back to the flooded bridge and towed their vehicle out of the waters.

Once they were both free, Anne started make her way slowly out of the water while Mr Forrest and her husband stayed behind and gathered some belongings before themselves heading to shore.

In all, the rescue took about eight minutes.

Speaking a few hours after it unfolded, Mr Forrest said he drove Anne and Gerrye back to his place and then returned to tow their vehicle out of the floodwaters.

Mr Forrest said there was always concerns about safety over what may be in the floodwaters but he did not think twice about stepping in to help the couple.

All he thought was “I need to go check this out”.

“You see someone, you help them.”