A dog has been rescued from crocodile-infested floodwaters near Katherine after the vehicle carrying its owners became trapped in rising waters. Police dropped an officer onto the stranded car at Tony Green Crossing, west of Katherine, who helped extract the driver and passenger before hoisting the large dog from the window into a waiting helicopter.
The rescue underscores the scale of disaster unfolding across the Northern Territory. Katherine has experienced its worst flooding since 1998, with the Katherine River peaking at 19.2 metres before midnight on Saturday. Police evacuated more than 1,000 people across the territory on Saturday, with helicopters and aircraft deployed to communities in remote areas.
The true danger lies not just in the torrents but in what they have displaced. Katherine's mayor Joanna Holden said she had never seen so many freshwater and saltwater crocodiles in local flood waters before, noting that "there was actually a saltwater crocodile on the AFL oval last night". It is estimated that more than 100,000 saltwater and freshwater crocodiles live across northern Australia.
Police incident control acting commander Shaun Gill delivered an unambiguous message to residents: "There are crocs absolutely everywhere. Please don't go in the water." He cited two specific reasons for staying clear: the fast-flowing rivers and heightened crocodile activity during flooding.
The flooding has triggered cascading crises across essential services. Water treatment systems have been compromised, with residents now required to boil their drinking water. At least seven schools are closed in Katherine and five more across the Big Rivers region. Disaster assistance has been activated for residents within the Katherine Town Council area following an Emergency Situation declaration, with the Australian and Northern Territory governments jointly providing support under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a Significant Event, covering Katherine and surrounding regions in the Northern Territory. Recovery efforts will extend well beyond the immediate crisis; temporary pop-up schools opened Wednesday to help Katherine families recover after the flooding, while major flood risks still affect remote communities including Daly River and Beswick.
The dog's rescue, fortunate as it was, stands as a reminder of the narrow margins between survival and tragedy when natural disaster collides with populated areas. Authorities reported that 54 swift-water rescues were carried out within a 14-hour period after drivers became trapped in rising floodwaters. For Katherine and the Top End, the crisis continues as weather systems persist and floodwaters recede slowly through the landscape.