** PERTH WEATHER LIVE FLOODING UPDATE ** #goldfields #pilbara #westernaustralia #waweather Source : Weatherzone/ABC Drivers warned to stay off flooded roads as a tropical low weather system moves across the state Thursday January 23, 2014 - 14:35 EDT Bonney Downs pilot Matt Goyder flies over a vehicle stranded in flood waters near Nullagine. - Audience submitted Drivers are being warned to obey road closures around parts of the State after a second vehicle became stranded in floodwaters near the Pilbara town of Nullagine. Police say a driver ignored warnings and left Nullagine on the closed Marble Bar Road yesterday morning. The man attempted to cross a floodway and the vehicle was inundated. The driver escaped to the river bank where he waited for most of the day until the alarm was raised when he failed to arrive at his destination. The man had to be rescued by helicopter. It came just a day after a search was carried out for a man whose vehicle was found abandoned 100 metres down stream in a flood way on Marble Bar Road, close to Nullagine. . A ground and aerial search was conducted, however, the occupant of the vehicle was later found safe and well at his nearby mine camp. It is believed he tried to cross the 1.8 metre high river to visit a friend in Nullagine, despite being told not to leave camp. Sergeant Graham Bond says it is disappointing the man did not tell any one what he was doing. He created a lot of work and a lot of trouble for people, and costs. The helicopters going to be anywhere between $1,000 to $1,500, he said. Plus the two police officers running around looking for someone thats safely tucked up in a mine site. Sergeant Bond says people need to listen to flood warnings. Well at the moment, really no one can get in or out, anyone thats going to try is foolish and then we will look at the road traffic code possibly to issue infringements to these people, he said. Matt Goyder, from Bonney Downs Station, was the helicopter pilot who conducted the searches for both of the men. He says the water is too high and people should not be attempting to cross it. Im very surprised he got as far as he did, he said. All the flood ways were running and like Sergeant Bond was saying, it was quite a foolish attempt to try and make it to or from town at the moment, he said.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 04:20:31 +0000