A Cairns man has saved the life of a drowning driver after he came across a car stuck in floodwaters.
Electrician Sam Greenwood was forced to smash open the car window with an axe after he found the Rav 4 almost being carried away by the rising floodwaters.
He was travelling down the Gillies Highway about 3pm Friday when he came across the incident, The Cairns Post reported.
Sam Greenwood, a Cairns electrician, saved the life of a man who was drowning in floodwaters
The Rav 4 (pictured) was almost being carried away on the Gillies Highway by the rising water
After stopping to watch the rising water witnesses noticed that the windscreen wipers were still going
He stopped to watch the rising water with fellow motorists, when they saw a white Toyota Rav 4, near the turn-off to Goldsborogh Valley.
The car was being pushed towards the Mulgrave River and witnesses noticed its windscreen wipers were still going.
Mr Greenwood jumped straight into the muddy floodwaters and swam towards the floating vehicle.
Inside he found the driver, in his late 60s, who looked like he was almost drowning.
‘Never thought I would say this but if its flooded DON’T floor it. Got stuck Gillies side of Hw and had a sticky beak at height of water blocking the road,’ he said in a post on Facebook.
‘Saw a small 4×4 floating away down the road towards mulgrave and asked what the go was with that to the many bystanders and they said they thought wipers still going when got there.’
Mr Greenwood jumped into the muddy water and swam over to the car. He was shocked to find a drowning man inside
After he tried to smash the window without any luck he swam back to his car and got an axe
‘Long story short swam out to the car and found old man trapped inside had to smash through a window to drag him out. He was very lucky car was still floating.’
‘He was sort of just breathing up near where your visor is — he had his head up there. I freaked out, because it took me by surprise,’ he said.
Mr Greenwood tried to smash open the window, but couldn’t get through. He swam back to his vehicle, and grabbed an axe.
‘When I was smashing the window, I was sort of scared that he was going to go under, because he was on the opposite side of the car,’ he said.
After the dramatic rescue, Mr Greenwood gave the man a lift home to the Tablelands.
He said the man was a bit embarrassed by the ordeal but thankful for the rescue and offered to buy him a dinner at the local pub.