An 11-year-old boy has had an amazing escape after being sucked into a flooded stormwater drain and washed 10 metres under a road in Melbourne.
The boy was riding his bike with a friend in Altona Meadows on Thursday afternoon when he accidentally rode across a submerged drain and was sucked underwater.
After being washed 10 metres under the road, his helmet caught on a metal grate on the other side, which meant he was able to grab on before being carried away, Victoria police said on Friday.
The trapped boy managed to keep his head above the surging water until an off-duty SES member who was nearby rushed to his aid.
He removed the bolts from the drain’s grate to gain access to the boy who was fully submerged in the rapidly rushing waters.
Police from Williamstown then prised the grate open with the boy still desperately clinging to the underside by his fingernails. He was then pulled to safety.
The jubilant boy told his rescuers “I love you all!” before inquiring about his missing shoes – an unfortunate casualty.
Paramedics treated the boy onsite and he was taken to hospital.
“I was trying to get up but I couldn’t because the current was too strong,” he later told the ABC. “When it took me down, I was like: ‘I’m not ready to go, I don’t want to go to heaven, and that’s why I tried to get out’.”
His friend, who was also washed off his bike at the same time, had managed to avoid being sucked down into the drain.
First Const Peter Ivory, who pulled the boy to safety, said it was an “incredibly dynamic situation”.
“When we arrived the boy was fully submerged and he was literally clinging to the grate by his fingernails so he wasn’t sucked underground,” he said on Friday.
“The force of the water was extraordinary. I’m so glad we could play our part in bringing the incident to a good resolution. I could not speak more highly of everyone involved, especially the passerby and off-duty SES member. They are truly the heroes of this story.”
Sgt Kristy Briffa from Williamstown police said the actions of everyone involved in the rescue were “truly amazing”.
“There is no doubt their quick thinking in the most dire of circumstances truly saved a life,” she said.
“We are so delighted this story has a happy ending. It just goes to show how treacherous and powerful flood water can be.”
