A man has drowned after being swept away by floodwaters while saving a young girl who was struggling in a river in Western Australia's far north.
Witnesses have told police the man, believed to be aged in his 40s, entered the swollen Ord River, near Purnululu National Park in the Kimberley region, to help the girl around 5.30pm on Saturday.
The man pushed the girl to safety before he was washed away and didn't resurface.
His body was found about 150 metres downstream and he was pulled from the water onto an island.
He had to be left there overnight under police watch because the strong current and heavy rainfall made it unsafe to recover his body.
Earlier on Saturday in the Pilbara region, a truck driver was lucky to escape unscathed after he ignored warnings the crossing over the Nullagine River in Telfer had been closed due to floodwaters and was swept away by the current.
The 38-year-old climbed out of his half-submerged cabin and was pushed downstream before he managed to reach the riverbank.
The truck won't be recovered until the water subsides.
"If you think it's safe to cross flowing water in a truck or 4WD. Think again. Driver lucky to be alive," Marble Bar Police tweeted after rushing to the man's aid.
Flooding in parts of the Pilbara and Kimberley is expected to continue on Monday.
