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ALICE SPRINGS RESCUE
RAPID RIVER RESCUE: A LIFE ON THE LINE THE intricate rescue of man who had been swept off a causeway by a raging torrent in the Todd River combined technology, man-power, tactical expertise and calmness in the face of a testing situation to bring him to safety. The successful six-hour rescue operation was the culmination of a multiagency response from NT Police, the AFP, NT Fire and Rescue, St Johns Ambulance and NT Emergency Service. The rescue, led by Incident Controller Superintendent Tony Deutrom, came to a dramatic conclusion when the severely fatigued man was dragged to safety via a zipline. More than 80mm of rain fell upstream of the typically dry river overnight on November
10, which flowed down to the Alice Springs town centre in the early hours of the morning. As police officers began to block off the road in the early morning darkness to prevent motorists from driving into the fast-flowing flood waters, a 33-year-old man slipped past before the road was closed. As he attempted to cross the flooded Wills Tce causeway in his car at 5am heading towards the Todd Tavern, the man and his car were washed down stream when the vehicle
reached a dip in the road.
his grip on the tree.
The rising waters reached a peak of 1.8m at the Wills Tce marker, with a heavy flow of water increasing the risk of danger to the motorist and rescuers from the emergency services.
Rescuers considered using a crane, a heavy front loader, jet skis and boats to bring the man to safety.
The driver managed to escape the vehicle, stood on its roof and clung to the tree his car had become wedged against as emergency services formulated a plan for his rescue. But as time went on the man became increasingly tired and struggled to keep
While a rescue plan was being put together officers from the AFP and NT Police used a drone to watch stricken man and to track him if he lost hist his grip and drifted down stream. A team of NT Fire and Rescue and NT Emergency Services rescuers set up 500m down stream at the Stott Tce bridge in anticipation of
