ABC reporter Will Murray jumps into floodwaters in his suit to rescue man trapped in sinking truck

An Australian TV reporter jumped into floodwaters in his suit to rescue a man whose truck was rapidly sinking, with the moment captured on camera. As reported by ABC News and Dexerto, reporter Will Murray was covering severe flooding in Queensland on October 22, 2026, when a driver attempted to cross a submerged section of Buchanan Road in Morayfield, north of Brisbane.

The man’s four-wheel-drive vehicle stalled almost immediately, began drifting downstream, and then started sinking. Murray initially called emergency services, but when the driver disappeared from sight, he decided there was not enough time to wait for help.

He handed his phone to camera operator Liz Pickering and jumped into the floodwaters. Another bystander, Daniel Hainey, joined him in the rescue effort.

Murray had to brace his feet against the truck to get a door open

The two men swam toward the vehicle and tried to open the nearest door, but it would not budge. They considered breaking the rear window before Murray braced his feet against the truck and forced open the rear passenger-side door.

The driver was then able to move toward the opening, allowing Murray and Hainey to pull him out and guide him into shallower water. They got him out just moments before the vehicle vanished beneath the surface.

Murray later explained that “there was no thinking involved” once he realized how quickly the truck was sinking. “Better that you jump in and give it a crack,” he said.

Hainey, who was out with his family when he saw the incident unfold, said he initially did not realize someone was trapped inside the truck. As the vehicle continued to sink, he spotted movement through a window and decided to help, later telling reporters the driver was “very, very lucky.”

Pickering, who filmed the rescue, said, “The pair of them definitely saved that man’s life,” according to Reuters. The three men shared an embrace after reaching safety, and emergency services arrived about 10 minutes later.

Murray said the driver told him he had not noticed the warning signs and had no idea how deep the water was. Around 170mm of rain had fallen in the area, creating dangerous conditions for drivers. Flash floods in Hawaii earlier this year led to more than 230 rescues on Oahu.

Murray later urged people never to drive into floodwaters after seeing firsthand how quickly the situation turned dangerous.