Couple rescued in outback Queensland after stranding in crocodile-infested waters
Their sign for help was spotted by rescue crews from above. (Supplied: LifeFlight)
In short:
A couple and their two dogs, stranded in the north-west Queensland outback for three days, have been rescued.
Their four-wheel drive was washed away in floodwaters, but the couple managed to scramble out a window.
What's next?
The couple are in hospital receiving treatment for dehydration and exposure.
A couple have been rescued after their four-wheel drive was washed away in crocodile-infested flood waters in north-west Queensland.
The couple, aged in their 50s, were stranded in the remote Gulf of Carpentaria after departing Normanton on Thursday, December 5 for Kowanyama.
Emergency services were notified early Saturday, December 7 after a friend reported the couple overdue.
It is believed the couple had attempted to drive across a river crossing north-west of Staaten River National Park when the vehicle was overcome by a wave of floodwater.
The couple told the Mount Isa LifeFlight rescue crew that they had to scramble out of the passenger window and swim through crocodile-infested waters to escape.
The couple were stranded in 40-degree heat for three days before LifeFlight rescued them. (Supplied: LifeFlight)
The male driver had to swim back into the vehicle to free their two dogs before he could swim to shore.
The couple endured three days and two terrifying nights with a large crocodile stalking them. They were without phones, mobile reception, or food and drinking water to survive in the 40-degree heat.
The couple and their dogs were airlifted to Normanton Hospital for further treatment. (Supplied: LifeFlight)
Two large SOS signs were written in the dirt, which the LifeFlight crew saw from the air.
The pair were treated for dehydration and exposure and loaded onto the rescue helicopter with their two dogs, and airlifted to the Normanton Hospital for further treatment.