Woman swept away in Blackwood River clung to tree before rescue
Emergency services rushed to the Blackwood River in Bridgetown, about 260km south of Perth, following reports a 23-year old women entered the water and was caught in a strong current that was 10m deep at 4.30pm on Tuesday.
The woman was swept about 100m downstream from the town centre and managed to grab hold of a partially submerged tree.
A police spokesman said the woman was distressed and crying for help when a 77-year old man who witnessed the incident came to her aid.
The elderly man managed to drag the woman to the river's edge until Senior Constable Mike Smith arrived and entered the water to keep her afloat.
'Despite experiencing extreme fatigue, the 77-year-old man further assisted police by guiding emergency services to the hard-to-reach location while Senior Constable Smith kept the woman safe and secure at the river's edge,' a police spokesman said.
Paramedics and fire and emergency services arrived soon after and the woman was safely removed from the water.
She was taken to the Bridgetown Hospital for medical treatment.
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