A man was pulled to safety from a stormwater drain more than two meters deep at Sydney’s Balmoral Beach after a close call with drowning during intense rainfall on Thursday night.
Dramatic Rescue Unfolds
The man fell into the open drain and struggled to escape as water levels rose. Witnesses describe him swallowing water and fighting to stay afloat. His wife rushed to the nearby Bathers’ Pavilion restaurant for assistance.
A staff member sprinted to the scene, attempting to haul the man out but soon realized he needed help. The worker jumped into the drain to assist, though he too faced challenges climbing out and ingested water in the process.
“Not every hero wears a cape… sometimes it’s just a restaurant uniform and an apron,” reads a social media post highlighting the bravery.
Similar Past Incident
This event echoes a prior rescue in March 2024, when a man in Queensland became trapped inside a drain for about 36 hours while trying to retrieve his phone. The grate was bolted shut, complicating the situation.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson stated that firefighters pried open the lid and lifted him to safety. Bystander James Lingwood first heard muffled yells from the drain.
“I’m thinking, what do I do, but he seemed to be okay,” Lingwood recounted. “He said he can get out of the top where he got in, so I just left him alone.”
Lingwood called emergency services the next day after hearing cries again, ensuring the man’s rescue.
