A 77-year-old man has recused a young woman from the strong currents of the Blackwood River.
The 23-year-old woman entered the river on Tuesday at about 4.30pm and was caught in fast-moving water that was 10 metres deep.
Police said she was swept about 100m downstream from the town centre, but managed to grab hold of a partially submerged tree where she remained in a distressed state calling for help.
The 77-year-old hero witnessed the incident, grabbed hold of the woman and managed to drag her towards the river’s edge.
A solo police officer from the local station, Senior Constable Mike Smith, arrived on scene soon after, entered the water and kept the woman afloat until backup emergency services, including St John WA and DFES, arrived on scene.
Despite experiencing extreme fatigue, the elderly man further assisted police by guiding emergency services to the hard-to-reach location while Sen. Const. Smith kept the woman safe and secure at the river’s edge.
The woman was removed from the water and conveyed to Bridgetown Hospital for medical treatment.
https://thewest.com.au/news/manjimup-bridgetown-times/blackwood-river-rescue-elderly-man-saves-young-woman-caught-in-fast-moving-waters-c-19606585
