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Rescued teens 'tried to cross flooded causeway'

Posted November 21, 2008 11:38:00
Updated November 21, 2008 11:37:00

Three Victorian teenagers had to be rescued after their car was swept off a causeway during heavy storms in northern New South Wales overnight.

Police say the 18 and 19-year-olds were driving across a causeway when rising floodwaters pushed them into the Mehi River at Terry Hie Hie, near Moree.

The trio was forced onto the roof of their car to escape the floodwaters.

The road was open at the time.

A volunteer rescue unit from Narrabri and the State Emergency Service (SES) from Moree were called in and used a flood boat and ropes to bring them to safety.

They were taken to the Moree Hospital for observation.

SES spokesman Steve Basham says the teenagers were not able to tell rescuers exactly where they were, delaying rescue attempts.

"They took a bit of finding," he said.

"The police arranged for Narrabri VRA to come from their direction and our SES crew arrived on scene between Binnaguuy and Terrie Hie Hie to find the three young people on the roof of their vehicle."

Tags: disasters-and-accidents, emergency-incidents, storm, weather, rainfall, storm, nsw, moree-2400, tamworth-2340, terry-hie-hie-2400, vic