Driver missing after car swept away by severe floodwaters in Victoria’s east

Victoria Police divers have mounted a search for a man whose car was swept away by floodwaters in the state’s east.

Police said the man, aged in his 60s, was driving a Nissan Patrol 4WD when he attempted to cross a river crossing near Sullivan Track at Thomson, north of Baw Baw, about 1.30pm on Monday.

He was accompanied by another man, his friend, who was following in a vehicle behind him.

Police said the man in his 60s got into difficulty as he tried to cross the swollen river, as his car dropped into what appeared to be a deep section of the river crossing.

They said his 4WD was swept away and inundated with water. His friend tried to rescue him before he alerted authorities.

Police said search and rescue squad divers would search for the missing man.

The area was cordoned off by police overnight ahead of the drivers and local police coming back to search the scene on Tuesday morning.

The state’s east has been hit by intense rainfall in recent days, as a low-pressure system tracking into the Bass Strait brought with it falls to East Gippsland, east of Thomson, and to eastern parts of West and South Gippsland during Sunday and Monday morning.

Emergency information website Vic Emergency issued flooding alerts throughout Monday and the weekend – among them, flood watches for the Thomson River, near Sullivan Track.

A final flood watch for the river was issued about 1.15pm on Monday as the low-pressure system retreated into the Bass Strait, however, the authority warned early in the morning of moderate to major flooding.

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