A mother and two children are believed to have died after their car veered off a bridge into the swollen Tweed River in northern NSW on Monday afternoon.
A nine-year-old girl was able to escape as the vehicle was swept into floodwaters near Tumbulgum and immediately ran for help, according to AAP.
“She was screaming her mum, little sister and older brother had gone into the river in the car,” a witness, Thomas Grinham, told Seven News on Monday.
Other locals said they tried to help but could only see bubbles rising to the surface.
After a two hour search, SES boats managed to locate the submerged car using sonar equipment about five metres from the river bank at around 3.25pm.
“I really think it (what will) unfold this evening will be a very tragic event,” Assistant Commissioner Jeff Loy told reporters.
“We will all be hurting.”
Police said the car “should have never” been driving on the road due to the dangerous conditions, and a team of divers will be deployed to search for the family on Tuesday morning.
Feature image: Nine News
Top Comments
This makes me so cross, people have been told over and over again, do NOT drive in those conditions, stay at home, but do people listen? No. Those poor kids.
The road in question was also an access road to properties in the area- of which this family may have lived in - so they'd have had no choice but to drive on this road to get to and from home.
In that case, I hardly think it's fair to say those things about 'if it's flooded- forget it'. She lost control of her vehicle, on a slight bend and then went in off the edge (A friend has shown me a video her friends and son were making for her- they were on their way home when stopped by a passerby saying a woman had had an accident, 'accidentally slipped off the road and into the water'- the video was a welcome home for a friend who'd been away from home due to illness for years- turned into a devastating piece of just driving home to see cars lined up (I saw this) and folks trying to dive to the car. (Did NOT see this, they stopped filming the moment they were told)
Normally- I'd totally agree how many times are people told- if it's flooded- forget it? How many times is that life saving advice ignored?
But I believe in this case- they were probably just driving home after restocking with supplies for another week, maybe?
Either way- what an horriffic accident.
I feel for that 9 year old and her father. Now a family reduced from five to two. How devastating.
How incredibly heartbreaking for that family, neighbours, friends and te community as a whole.
All of our thoughts and love are with them at this most terrifying time.
Wait until you read the current article about this story, chriswalk. They label her a 'hero' because she was trying to get the children out after the car went underwater.
Yes I saw that information tonight, thank you. So so sad.