TV reporter and bystander rescue driver from sinking car in Australia floods
A television reporter and a bystander swam to a sinking car in Australian floodwater and rescued the trapped driver through the back window just before the vehicle went under.
How it was covered
- ITV was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
- BBC News: covered online, not found on air.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
A television reporter covering floods in Australia has helped rescue a driver from a sinking car, along with a bystander who jumped into the water. The reporter, Will Murray, was standing at the edge of a park filming floodwater after heavy rain when a car came over a hill behind him and entered the water.
The car began to float and then sink within seconds, with the driver trapped inside. Another bystander jumped in with Murray but could not open the driver's side door. Murray swam to the other side of the car and used his feet and arms to pull against the door. Once the door opened slightly, water rushed in, and he was able to open it fully.
The driver was not panicking and was relatively calm for the situation. He got out through the back window and was brought to safety just moments before the vehicle was completely submerged. The rescue was caught on film. It ended with an embrace and a life saved.
Murray later told colleagues that he would not be quitting his day job. He said he did not know how people did that kind of work regularly, and that it was not for him.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A reporter and a bystander rescued a driver from a sinking vehicle before it submerged. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 treated the rescue as a closing human interest item, with dramatic footage of the reporter becoming the story. It focused on the quick sequence of events, the failed attempt to open the driver's side door and the reporter's modest reaction. It gave no wider detail on the Australian floods beyond the incident itself.
- “journalists are meant to never become the story.”
- “We were standing on the edge of this park, getting footage of flood waters as you'd normally do after a big rain event.”
- “I don't know how people do this regularly. It's not for me.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 12:43 BST
Will Murray, television reporter
ITV Lunchtime News · Fri 23 Oct
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.