A man has drowned after rescuing a young girl from floodwaters on the Ord River, in WA’s far north Kimberley.
Police said the incident happened about 5:00pm on Saturday near the entrance to Purnululu National Park.
The man, aged in his 40s, jumped into the water and pushed the girl to safety on a nearby island, before he was swept under by the current.
He resurfaced downstream and was pulled onto the riverbank, but rescuers were unable to revive him.
Due to the strong current and heavy rain in the area, attempts to retrieve his body last night were unsuccessful, but authorities were able to recover it this morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology had forecast heavy rainfall in the area, with isolated falls of up to 100mm expected in the 24 hours to 9:00am today, causing significant river rises and flooding.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
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