Family rescued from car roof top in middle of Cahills Crossing

Young children and adults were forced to scramble to the roof of a small sedan after the driver failed to traverse Cahills Crossing and had to be pulled to safety by a four-wheel-drive. See the video

Young children and adults were forced to scramble to the roof of their car after the driver failed to traverse Cahills Crossing.

The group of about seven people were left on top of the car roof at the popular hang out spot for crocodiles.

Alf Lang and his partner Charlie Maltezos were there fishing and joked to the driver as they entered the water that they weren’t going to push them out if their little car got stuck.

The water was sitting just above the wheel rims of the car.

Those using a 4WD had managed to cross the water without issue said Mr Lang but the little black Holden Astra struggled when it made it about halfway across.

A few moments later the children were racing onto the roof as the car stalled and took in water.

Seven people had to be rescued from Cahills Crossing after their car flooded and stalled leaving them stranded. Picture: Alf Lang

Mr Lang then raced to the rangers hut to seek out help however no one was there.

Ms Maltezos stayed to make sure the occupants were okay on the roof.

In the mean time a contractor who had been tasked to a job in Gunbalanya arrived.

He and Mr Lang using snatch straps were able to tow the terrified occupants back to safety by threading the straps through the car.

“They were only 2ft from the water and if a big croc had of come it would have plucked them off,” he said.

“It’s only lucky that we were there and he (the contractor) had got a call out, there was no one else around.”

He said if the driver had waited about half an hour to an hour they would have made it across easily.

Once they had made it back safely to the bank on the Jabiru side they then towed them across to the Gunbalanya side of the crossing as they had family there who could help them.

Mr Lang urged people to slow down and think before crossing waterways.

“There’s always crocs in the water you just don’t go near it,” he said.

“It’s one of those things if it’s flooded forget it.”