Man found dead after floodwater sweep near Santa Teresa in Central Australia

Northern Territory Police say a 60-year-old man has been found dead after being swept away by floodwater near Santa Teresa in Central Australia. His body was located on Saturday afternoon after a three-day search and rescue operation in a remote area south of Alice Springs. Police said the man had been missing since his vehicle became stuck in a creek on Phillipson Bore Road.

According to police, the body was found at 1:40pm about 10 kilometres from the place where he was swept off the roof of his vehicle. The incident happened near the remote Aboriginal community of Santa Teresa, also known as Ltyentye Apurte, about 80 kilometres south of Alice Springs. Police said the man had been with a woman when the vehicle became trapped, forcing both of them to climb onto the roof.

Police said the woman was able to walk to Santa Teresa and report the man missing, which triggered the search. The operation involved Northern Territory Emergency Service volunteers and the Police Air Wing, with teams covering difficult terrain in an effort to locate him. Police said a report on the death would be prepared for the coroner.

The death comes after Central Australia was hit by widespread downpours and thunderstorms this week. Those conditions caused flooding at Uluru and made local creeks rise rapidly, creating hazardous conditions across parts of the region. In remote areas, floodwater can quickly cut off roads and make rescue efforts more difficult because of distance, terrain and limited access.

The case also highlights the risks faced by people travelling in flood-affected parts of the Northern Territory, where roads can become impassable with little warning. Phillipson Bore Road is in a sparsely populated area where emergency response can depend on air support and volunteer crews. The involvement of police, emergency volunteers and the air wing underlines the scale of the search effort in difficult conditions.

What remains unclear is the full sequence of events that led to the vehicle becoming stuck in the creek and the exact circumstances of the man's death. Police have not released further details about the woman who was with him, and the coroner will now examine the case. The incident is part of a broader weather emergency in Central Australia, but officials have not said whether further flooding is expected in the immediate area.

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