Sydney flood rescue as woman saved from rising water in Holsworthy

A young woman clung to a tree near Holsworthy for an hour in raging, bitterly-cold floodwaters before being dramatically rescued last night.

Clinging to a tree in raging floodwater, a woman in her 20s had fear written all over her face.

She had been clinging to the tree near Holsworthy for an hour as bitterly-cold water raged around her when rescuers arrived for her abut 9pm on Saturday night.

Clearly distressed, the woman caught a life-ring buoy thrown upstream by SES workers, during one of 29 flood rescues they carried out on Saturday nights and Sunday morning.

Shivering and shaking, the woman held the buoy and rope as a rescuer dived into the water, his body thrown downstream in the fast flowing torrent.

Using the rope, the SES volunteer dragged his body through the current to the woman and fitted a life jacket onto her.

Buckled in, the woman cries, clinging to the tree, still too scared to let go as the volunteer comforts her.

The woman reportedly clung to a tree in floodwaters at Holsworthy before being dramatically rescued by the SES.. Picture: TNV

He ties a rope to her life jacket and, at the other end, a tug of war team made of police officers, fireys and SES volunteers pull against the rushing water.

Anchored to the bank, the woman clings to the tree for a further eight minutes as the SES launch an inflatable dingy into the water.

A rescuer jumped into the water and secured her with a rope. Picture: TNV

She was pulled into a boat, where she clung to her rescuer. Picture: TNV

The boat is driven to her and she is lifted into it, curling into a ball, shaking.

After being taken to the bank, waiting paramedics assess her before shouldering her weight as her knees buckle on the walk to an ambulance.

After the dramatic rescue, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke on Sunday urged people to reconsider their travel plans this school holidays.

“If you know your local community is prone to flooding, then please be prepared to evacuate and at short notice. And to all communities between Newcastle and Batemans Bay. I’m respectfully asking that you reconsider your travel plans at this time,” she said.

“In the last 24 hours the SES has responded to more than 1400 requests for assistance. In the same 24 hours they have conducted … 29 flood rescues.”

Originally published as Sydney flood rescue as woman saved from rising water in Holsworthy