Australia Weather News

As floodwater churned around her and rain bucketed down, 50-year-old Laurel Palmer clung desperately to a tree in the middle of the Todd River at Alice Springs.

It was dark and her anxious family watched on from the riverbank.

"I thought she was going to die," Ms Palmer's daughter, Latarne Wayne, said.

"I thought the water took her."

The ordeal came as the Central Australian town of Alice Springs was hit by dangerous thunderstorms and flash flooding on Thursday, causing river levels to rise dramatically.

It took nearly 12 hours for rescuers to pull Ms Palmer to safety.

A mammoth rescue effort

Ms Wayne said the pair had been crossing the footbridge above the Todd River some time after 1am on Thursday morning when Ms Palmer fell and was pulled into the river.

Ms Wayne went in after her mother but the rough water tugged them in separate directions.

"I was drowning and swallowing water," Ms Wayne said.

"I was trying to swim but I was going under the water too. The waves were swallowing me."

She managed to hold onto some grass on the riverbank and eventually pulled herself to safety.

About 600 metres downstream from where she fell in Ms Palmer managed to latch onto a tree, which she clung to until the water receded enough for her to reach a small bank.

Police were notified about Ms Palmer's plight at about 3am on Thursday but she remained on the bank for hours while rescue teams devised a plan to pull her out.

One police officer failed to reach her and was swept into the current, also needing help to be pulled out of the water.

Another police officer waded over to Ms Palmer and brought her water.

The officer sat with her while rescuers tried to throw a rope to them.

The police officer managed to grab it and used it to help the woman get to safety.

They walked along the bank of the river, at the base of the MacDonnell Ranges, to a spot where the ambulance could safely pull up.

Ms Palmer's sister, Cheryl Palmer, watched the rescue from the riverbank and was looking forward to hugging her sister.

Cheryl thanked the rescue services for their efforts.

"We thank the country for giving back to us," she said.

"Not everyone survives the floodwaters."

'Dangerous and unpredictable'

NT Police Southern Watch commander James Grey Spence said Ms Palmer had been through "quite an ordeal".

"She's obviously suffering from exposure, but being treated and is in good spirits for the ordeal that she's been through," he said.

"Credit to the NTES (Northern Territory Emergency Service) volunteers and the police officers who performed the shore-based rescue."

A spokesperson for St John Ambulance NT said Ms Palmer was taken to Alice Springs Hospital for assessment but had no obvious signs of injury.

The spokesperson warned Alice Springs residents to be wary of floodwaters.

"Floodwaters are dangerous and unpredictable," they said.

"Don't let curiosity get the better of you."

Emergency services said the flood threat in Alice Springs has been decreased to an advice level, cancelling out Thursday night's watch and act warning.