Police divers comb river for missing woman as wrecks of cars emerge from floodwaters

The Advertiser

05-08-2025

POLICE divers are combing a swollen creek for any sign of a woman who was swept away in floodwaters during a deluge on Saturday night.
It comes as the wrecks of the Mini Countryman she was travelling in with another woman and a dog, and a second vehicle that was washed off the causeway on Old North Road, emerged from the murky, receding water.
Divers have been battling cool water and low visibility conditions, though the rain eased as the multi-agency search stretched into its third full day on Tuesday, August 5.
Emergency services were first alerted just before 8pm on Saturday, August 2, that a small red car had become stuck in floodwaters at the Black Creek causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury.
The 27-year-old woman who had been driving the car, and her dog, were able to make it to shore and were rescued.
However, her 26-year-old passenger, a Chinese national who was working as an engineer in Western Sydney, did not surface.
A large-scale search was launched that night and has continued for three days from the land, water and sky, both in the river and on the banks.
NSW Police have tasked Hunter Valley officers along with speciality crews from the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, Marine Area Command and police rescue.
Divers joined the search on Monday and were back at the scene on Tuesday.
Police have been backed by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), Rural Fire Service (RFS), and both water dogs and crew members of the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA).
It's understood the search is covering an area up to two kilometres along the creek.
The two Chinese nationals were trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country when they attempted to drive through the causeway as floodwaters up to six metres deep surged through.
A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek on Saturday night when his car was swept into the raging waters. He was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree.
The roofs of the mangled and waterlogged vehicles could be seen in the creek about 50 metres downstream of the causeway as floodwaters receded on Tuesday.
The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast.
POLICE divers are combing a swollen creek for any sign of a woman who was swept away in floodwaters during a deluge on Saturday night.
It comes as the wrecks of the Mini Countryman she was travelling in with another woman and a dog, and a second vehicle that was washed off the causeway on Old North Road, emerged from the murky, receding water.
Divers have been battling cool water and low visibility conditions, though the rain eased as the multi-agency search stretched into its third full day on Tuesday, August 5.
Emergency services were first alerted just before 8pm on Saturday, August 2, that a small red car had become stuck in floodwaters at the Black Creek causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury.
The 27-year-old woman who had been driving the car, and her dog, were able to make it to shore and were rescued.
However, her 26-year-old passenger, a Chinese national who was working as an engineer in Western Sydney, did not surface.
A large-scale search was launched that night and has continued for three days from the land, water and sky, both in the river and on the banks.
NSW Police have tasked Hunter Valley officers along with speciality crews from the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, Marine Area Command and police rescue.
Divers joined the search on Monday and were back at the scene on Tuesday.
Police have been backed by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), Rural Fire Service (RFS), and both water dogs and crew members of the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA).
It's understood the search is covering an area up to two kilometres along the creek.
The two Chinese nationals were trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country when they attempted to drive through the causeway as floodwaters up to six metres deep surged through.
A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek on Saturday night when his car was swept into the raging waters. He was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree.
The roofs of the mangled and waterlogged vehicles could be seen in the creek about 50 metres downstream of the causeway as floodwaters receded on Tuesday.
The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast.
POLICE divers are combing a swollen creek for any sign of a woman who was swept away in floodwaters during a deluge on Saturday night.
It comes as the wrecks of the Mini Countryman she was travelling in with another woman and a dog, and a second vehicle that was washed off the causeway on Old North Road, emerged from the murky, receding water.
Divers have been battling cool water and low visibility conditions, though the rain eased as the multi-agency search stretched into its third full day on Tuesday, August 5.
Emergency services were first alerted just before 8pm on Saturday, August 2, that a small red car had become stuck in floodwaters at the Black Creek causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury.
The 27-year-old woman who had been driving the car, and her dog, were able to make it to shore and were rescued.
However, her 26-year-old passenger, a Chinese national who was working as an engineer in Western Sydney, did not surface.
A large-scale search was launched that night and has continued for three days from the land, water and sky, both in the river and on the banks.
NSW Police have tasked Hunter Valley officers along with speciality crews from the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, Marine Area Command and police rescue.
Divers joined the search on Monday and were back at the scene on Tuesday.
Police have been backed by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), Rural Fire Service (RFS), and both water dogs and crew members of the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA).
It's understood the search is covering an area up to two kilometres along the creek.
The two Chinese nationals were trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country when they attempted to drive through the causeway as floodwaters up to six metres deep surged through.
A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek on Saturday night when his car was swept into the raging waters. He was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree.
The roofs of the mangled and waterlogged vehicles could be seen in the creek about 50 metres downstream of the causeway as floodwaters receded on Tuesday.
The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast.
POLICE divers are combing a swollen creek for any sign of a woman who was swept away in floodwaters during a deluge on Saturday night.
It comes as the wrecks of the Mini Countryman she was travelling in with another woman and a dog, and a second vehicle that was washed off the causeway on Old North Road, emerged from the murky, receding water.
Divers have been battling cool water and low visibility conditions, though the rain eased as the multi-agency search stretched into its third full day on Tuesday, August 5.
Emergency services were first alerted just before 8pm on Saturday, August 2, that a small red car had become stuck in floodwaters at the Black Creek causeway on Old North Road at North Rothbury.
The 27-year-old woman who had been driving the car, and her dog, were able to make it to shore and were rescued.
However, her 26-year-old passenger, a Chinese national who was working as an engineer in Western Sydney, did not surface.
A large-scale search was launched that night and has continued for three days from the land, water and sky, both in the river and on the banks.
NSW Police have tasked Hunter Valley officers along with speciality crews from the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, Marine Area Command and police rescue.
Divers joined the search on Monday and were back at the scene on Tuesday.
Police have been backed by the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), Rural Fire Service (RFS), and both water dogs and crew members of the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA).
It's understood the search is covering an area up to two kilometres along the creek.
The two Chinese nationals were trying to get back to Sydney after a weekend in wine country when they attempted to drive through the causeway as floodwaters up to six metres deep surged through.
A 40-year-old man also attempted to cross Black Creek on Saturday night when his car was swept into the raging waters. He was rescued by SES crews who found him clinging to a tree.
The roofs of the mangled and waterlogged vehicles could be seen in the creek about 50 metres downstream of the causeway as floodwaters receded on Tuesday.
The incidents came as wild weather wreaked havoc along the east coast.