Nineteen-year-old Jessie Sanders has recently been through one of the most traumatic experiences of her life.
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And now, an incident that could have claimed her life, has ignited backlash on social media.
Jessie was recently caught in floodwaters on the Emmaville bridge – and her mother, Lida Jansen, has said the incident was a “freak” accident.
Jessie, who has been working at the Emmaville Pub for the past four weeks, left for work in the afternoon.
“The water wasn’t that high when I drove past the bridge on the way to work,” she said.
Around 10 hours later, she commenced her drive home to Glen Innes. It was around midnight and pitch black.
“I wasn’t speeding, I always slow down at the bridge because you can’t always see if there’s any cars,” she said.
“Because I’m not a local there, I don’t know the bridge at all – or if it floods, I had no idea.
“I slowed down to about 45 km/h and couldn’t see any water … all of a sudden I saw a massive tree in the middle of the road and put my foot down on the breaks.”
Jessie said the wet ground caused her to lose traction.
“As soon as I hit the tree I started screaming for my mum,” she said.
But with no service, Jessie knew she had to move.
“The only thing that was stopping the car from actually going off the edge was the raised edge on the bridge – so I stood on that,” she said.
Waist-high in water, Jessie pushed through the current – almost falling off the side at one point – and over 100 metres of rushing water and debris to get to dry land.
“There was no depth sign or flooding sign on either side of the bridge – there is nothing,” she said.
“I’m not a local there and I don’t know the bridge – I do not know it floods like that.”
Jessie’s mum said the incident was a freak accident.
“She didn’t attempt to drive through the river, she’s not stupid,” she said.
“If you had gone out there you would see the force of that water has sucked her.
“The car was jammed onto the lip of that bridge so she’s lucky she didn’t lose her life getting through with nothing to hold onto.”
The ordeal has triggered the pair to push for better signage and patrolling of flood-prone areas.