About 12.00am on Sunday, 30 March 2026, emergency services received reports that a Nissan Navara utility had been washed off a bridge on Bibbawarra Road near South River Road in Kingsford, approximately six kilometres from the Carnarvon townsite.
The vehicle was carried downstream before becoming submerged, forcing the driver to scramble to safety on a nearby tree stump.
When officers arrived, they found the man visibly distressed and showing signs of dehydration, with water levels continuing to rise around him.
First Class Constable Sean Bragg-Walker was among the responding officers, who quickly conducted a risk assessment and established a safety line to deliver a life jacket to the stranded man.
As conditions worsened, a second safety line was deployed, and a critical decision was made to enter the water.
“I’m a decent swimmer but didn’t like our chances if we had to go in after him, had he gone into the water unaided,” 1/C Const Bragg-Walker said.
Secured by colleagues and assisted by members of the public, First Class Constable Sean Bragg-Walker donned a life jacket and navigated the floodwaters using a snatch strap.
“I knew I could count on Alex and Jayden to see me right if I got into strife, so I got in and waded across to the PAR.”
He reached the man and successfully guided him back to shore.
“With community members having provided life jackets for the PAR and I, as well as the safety line and snatch strap which I’d secured around my waist, I felt pretty confident that we’d done all we could to minimise the risk,” 1/C Const Bragg-Walker said.
The incident highlights the operational challenges faced in regional WA, where dynamic conditions, limited resources and rapid risk assessment can be the difference between life and death.
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