10-month-old baby not breathing when rescued from freezing floodwaters

Life savers traversed wild floodwaters in a rubber dinghy to rush a 10-month-old baby to hospital after he stopped breathing.

Surf life savers have waded through freezing floodwaters to rescue a baby boy.

The 10-month-old was not breathing when he was brought to safety.

His mother contacted emergency services around 5.30pm on Wednesday after the pair became inundated by floodwaters in Bulga in the Hunter Valley, The Australian reported.

NSW SES, police, Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance and surf life savers were used to locate the young family.

When they were found, the 10-month-old had blue lips but was quickly delivered to NSW Ambulance paramedics.

The baby let out a big cry once it was safe onshore in the arms of a life saver awaiting an ambulance. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Paramedics were able to revive the baby and prepared to transport him to hospital.

However, floodwaters cutting off access to nearby Singleton Hospital, forcing the life savers to re-enter the fast-moving floodwaters to get the flood victims to safety.

Swansea Belmont surf life saver Lee Archer traversed the Wollombi Brook on a rubber dinghy across the 1km-wide floodwaters.

Surf life savers from Swansea Belmont SLSC were instrumental in the rescue effort. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

When they reached the other side, volunteer Shane Dowsett carried the baby boy to safety in a moment that was captured by The Australian photographers.

The 10-month-old was handed over to a special operations ambulance crew while crying inside a brown blanket.

He was rushed to Singleton Hospital and is now in a stable condition.

“It was an amazing effort by everyone concerned in very difficult circumstances,” a NSW Ambulance spokesman said.

Originally published as 10-month-old baby not breathing when rescued from freezing floodwaters