Man's body found after 4WD swept away in floodwaters in Victoria's east
The body of a man has been found more than 16 hours after he and his 4WD were swept away in floodwaters in Victoria's alpine region.
Search and Rescue Squad divers found the 66-year-old driver's body inside his submerged Nissan Patrol this morning.
The Mirboo North man was travelling in convoy with another man about 1.30pm yesterday when he attempted to cross a flooded river near Sullivan Track in Thomson.
READ MORE: Pair arrested near NSW border over man's death in regional Victoria
The ute was pulled from the river this morning. Nine
The ute was found submerged. Nine
The man got into difficulty in the raging river and his 4WD dropped into a deep section of the river before it was swept downstream, according to police.
The other driver had not yet attempted to cross the river.
He tried to help his friend but was unable to.
Patchy phone reception in the area meant authorities were not alerted to what had happened until almost 3pm.
The search for the 4WD today began at first light.
Police said the area where the man's 4WD was found was very remote and difficult to access.
The man was swept away in floodwaters in Thomson. Nine
The operation to remove the vehicle and the man's body from the water took several hours.
Senior Constable Ian Naughton said rescuers had to dive underwater to attach a rope to the 4WD, before a local tow company pulled it from the water.
Police will now prepare a report for the coroner.
Heavy rainfall across Gippsland on the weekend led to significant flooding across the region.
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