\u201cI was yelling out, but nobody was answering.\u201d<\/p>\n
He noticed movement inside as he got nearer and discovered the woman trapped in the car. <\/p>\n
Water was up to the front windows and had filled the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the trees hadn\u2019t stopped the car… [it] would\u2019ve just gone down the river,\u201d Holland said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey would\u2019ve never got out because the water was flowing that fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holland opened the boot of the car and helped her into the back where it was shallow enough to get out, grabbing her belongings.<\/p>\n
Former Mangamahu resident Carl Roberts arrived at the scene and quickly waded in to help Holland. He carried the woman out of the water with Holland following behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t see where your feet were going half the time,\u201d Holland said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you looked behind you … there were logs going past.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cold water was up to the woman\u2019s waist at the car and rose visibly while they helped her, Roberts said.<\/p>\n
After getting back to their cars, Holland drove the woman to her family member\u2019s home nearby.<\/p>\n
Roberts\u2019 mother, a nurse, Sandra Roberts, checked in on the woman later that day.<\/p>\n
Holland helped her family tow her car out of the mud on Monday.<\/p>\n
Whanganui Civil Defence emergency manager Tim Crowe said, \u201cIt was good people doing the right thing. Excellent work on their behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heavy rainfall over the weekend and into this week caused slips, flooding and several road closures in the Whanganui and Ruapehu district, including Mangamahu Rd on Monday.<\/p>\n
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe declared a state of local emergency in the Whanganui District at 6.57am on Sunday after severe rainfall overnight raised river levels and increased the risk of further flooding.<\/p>\n