A POLICE officer risked his own life to save two puppies who were stranded on a car bonnet after their owner drove into raging floodwaters in the Far North.
Coen Police were called to the Archer River Crossing on Monday after a man’s vehicle was washed off the flooded causeway as he attempted to cross the swollen Archer River.
Police will allege the man drove his car into the flooded river on purpose, ignoring road closed signs and the flood markers.
The man got out of his car and swam to the northern side of the Archer River, but left two five week old puppies stranded on the bonnet of the car.
Realising the pups wouldn’t make it out of the floodwater alone, Senior Constable Ben Lloyd waded into the chest high fast flowing water to retrieve the stranded pups.
A few hours later, police saw the man back on the southern side of the river and tried to arrest him.
He instead ran back into the river and tried to swim away.
Two officers swam after him and pulled him from the water before placing him under arrest.
It will be alleged the man committed a number of property offences over a number of days in both Weipa and Coen, before stealing a jerry can and fuel on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Cairns man was charged with three counts of unlicensed driving, two counts of serious obstruction of police, one count each of driving uninsured, driving unregistered, driving without due care and attention, enter premises and commit, wilful damage and stealing.
He is scheduled to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on March 12.
Police took the puppies back to the station to dry off and have a feed and have since been rehomed together.