Have Police Divers Joined the Search for the Missing Woman in Sydney Floods?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Emergency search operations are in full swing for the missing woman.
- A total of over 1,400 assistance calls were made due to severe weather.
- Rescue efforts include police divers and multiple emergency services.
- The woman was swept away while attempting to exit a stuck vehicle.
- Severe weather warnings indicate ongoing risks in the region.
Sydney, Aug 5 (NationPress) Police divers have commenced their search for a woman who has been unaccounted for after being swept away in floodwaters north of Australia's Sydney during the weekend, according to police reports on Tuesday.
An emergency operation was initiated on Saturday night following the incident where the 26-year-old woman was carried away while attempting to escape a vehicle stuck in floodwater near Cessnock, located 115 km north of Sydney.
The law enforcement officials in New South Wales (NSW) announced on Tuesday that divers from their unit would be participating in the renewed search efforts.
A statement from the police revealed that the search has persisted over the last two days, involving local officers as well as specialists from the rescue and bomb disposal units, alongside marine area command, with support from the State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service, and other rescue organizations.
On August 3, the police indicated that the woman, believed to be in her twenties, was a passenger in a vehicle that got trapped while trying to navigate through floodwaters near Rothbury, roughly 130 km north of Sydney, around 7:50 p.m. local time.
As both occupants attempted to leave the vehicle, the female passenger was swept downstream. The driver, a 27-year-old woman, was unharmed, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
During the initial search on Saturday night, crews from the NSW State Emergency Service located a 40-year-old man who was stuck in a nearby tree after becoming trapped in floodwater.
This man was also swept away but was eventually rescued and taken to the hospital for evaluation.
The NSW SES responded to more than 1,400 calls for assistance due to the heavy rains, winds, and snow impacting the Hunter, Northern Tablelands, and Mid North Coast regions north of Sydney on Saturday.
A severe weather warning was issued at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday by the Bureau of Meteorology, indicating that strong winds were expected to subside by early afternoon.