An elderly woman has died after being caught in floodwaters near Katherine in a remote Northern Territory Aboriginal community.
Northern Territory Police said they believed the woman was travelling in a car with four other people when they became stranded in Door Creek, near the community of Beswick, about 100 kilometres east of Katherine.
Assistant Commissioner Jeanette Kerr said police saw the stranded car on Sunday evening while they were travelling to Beswick by helicopter.
“They discovered five occupants stranded in the vehicle,” Assistant Commissioner Kerr said.
“And the woman had been unable to escape and drowned.
“CPR was conducted, but unfortunately they were unable to save her.”
She said a coroner was investigating the woman’s death and the other four people in the car were safe.
“This is the second person washed away this Christmas in floodwaters,” Assistant Commissioner Kerr said.
“A 28-year-old man was also washed away — he was with two others trying to swim a flooded creek in Peppimenarti, and unfortunately he wasn’t strong enough to make it to the other side.”
The other two men managed to swim to safety.
The search for the man, missing since Christmas Day, resumed on Sunday morning.
Rescuers said the water was too high and moving too fast to allow boat searches but helicopters were still sweeping the area.
Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and winds are forecast for areas including Katherine as a tropical low pressure system moves across the state towards Queensland.
Residents in affected areas were warned to take precautions.
