For the first few seconds, it doesn't look like a life-and-death situation.
asserted
it → look → situation
A grey four-wheel drive ute enters floodwater covering a road in Morayfield, north of Brisbane.
asserted
ute → enter → Brisbane
The water appears mostly calm.
asserted
water → appear → ?
But within minutes, the vehicle is gone.
asserted
vehicle → go → minutes
It's a stark demonstration of a message flood safety experts repeat year after year: "If it's flooded, forget it."
asserted
it → repeat → it
While ABC reporter Will Murray and bystander Daniel Hainey pulled the driver free, the footage shows just how little time there is to escape a sinking car.
asserted
footage → pull → car
Loading...10:04am Thursday
A car drives past a "road flooded" warning sign on Buchanan Road.
asserted
car → load → Road
Mr Murray and ABC camera operator Liz Pickering are on the scene to report on flash flooding in south-east Queensland.
asserted
Murray → report → Queensland
Almost instantly, they start running toward the scene, aware of the danger.
asserted
they → start → danger
But for the driver, there is little indication of how deep the water is.
asserted
water → be → driver
According to UNSW senior research fellow in the School of Population Health Amy Peden, that uncertainty is precisely what makes floodwaters so dangerous.
"You can never know the velocity and the depth of the water," Dr Peden said.
uncertain
Peden → accord → water
The ute is stranded and starts to float after making it about halfway across the flooded road.
asserted
ute → strand → road
On her own camera tape, Ms Pickering is heard saying: "How can we help him?
asserted
we → hear → him
Air trapped inside the cabin initially gives the vehicle some buoyancy.
asserted
Air → trap → buoyancy
But water is already starting to infiltrate the vehicle's systems.
asserted
water → start → systems
"As the water gets into the workings of the car, it will start to sink," Dr Peden says.
asserted
Peden → get → car
Mr Murray immediately calls Triple Zero (000), trying to pinpoint their exact location for emergency services.
asserted
Murray → call → services
What began as a vehicle crossing a flooded road has become a race against time.
asserted
began → begin → time
The car begins to spin.
asserted
car → begin → ?
The driver is trying to reverse out, with no luck.
asserted
driver → try → luck
His window line is edging closer to the water's surface.
asserted
line → edge → surface
For anyone trapped inside, every passing second is reducing escape options.
asserted
second → trap → options
"You need to try and get out of the vehicle quickly," Dr Peden says.
asserted
Peden → need → vehicle
The rear wheel is fully submerged; the ute's snorkel is soon underwater.
asserted
snorkel → submerge → ?
The situation hits a tipping point.
asserted
situation → hit → point
The car is sinking, and quickly.
asserted
car → sink → ?
The driver is trapped inside what's rapidly become an underwater chamber.
asserted
what → trap → ?
In the distance, bystanders are shouting.
asserted
bystanders → shout → distance
What comes next is an extraordinary act of bravery.
asserted
comes → come → bravery
But Dr Peden warns such rescues can come at a devastating cost, with would-be rescuers sometimes drowning while trying to help.
asserted
rescuers → warn → cost
Her advice is simple: don't put yourself at risk, and call for help as quickly as possible.
asserted
advice → put → help
Passing the phone to Ms Pickering while still talking to Triple Zero, Mr Murray decides to act.
asserted
Murray → pass → Zero
He starts swimming towards the sinking car.
asserted
He → start → car
Mr Hainey follows.
asserted
Hainey → follow → ?
"When we got to the car we tried to open the closest door, no luck, then got on the back of the car with the thought to break the back window," Mr Murray said.
"
asserted
Murray → get → window
I thought to try the passenger side rear door first and put my feet against the car and pulled as hard as I could, and with some luck the door swung open.
uncertain
door → think → luck
"
As soon as the door opens and the driver comes out, the vehicle sinks completely.
asserted
vehicle → open → ?
It is only 90 seconds from the moment Mr Murray and Mr Hainey get into the water to attempt the rescue until the four-wheel drive's roof is submerged.
asserted
roof → get → rescue
"I think what this vision very clearly shows is that you will not have a lot of time," Dr Peden says.
asserted
Peden → think → time
The driver, Mr Murray and Mr Hainey emerge safely.
asserted
driver → emerge → ?
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
