Man’s body found after being swept away in outback flood waters | South Australia

Police have found the body of a 65-year-old man trapped in floodwaters in South Australia’s far north.

The man, identified only as Tony by South Australian police, disappeared around 12.30am on Saturday, sparking a three-day search.

He disappeared off Cordillo Downs Road in Innamincka in the state’s far northeast, according to police.

“Despite the efforts of emergency services and local volunteers, Tony’s body was found at 10.30am,” police said.

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.”

Throughout the search, police worked closely with the man’s family and kept them informed of search activities and results.

“The search can’t be over until my poppy is brought home,” Tony’s grandson told the ABC before his body was found. “Whether he is alive or dead, he deserves to be home with us.”

The search effort included air support, water operations officers, local police patrols and State Emergency Service personnel.

“The Cooper Creek system remains flooded due to fast moving water, submerged hazards and limited visibility,” an SA police spokesman said.

The Cooper Creek floodplain is part of one of the world’s last major free-flowing desert river systems and is regularly flooded, according to the CSIRO.

It covers a large area of ​​south-west Queensland and a smaller part of north-eastern South Australia.

“This is one of the most complex floodplains in the world and by far the most complex floodplain in Australia,” the CSIRO states on its website.

Innamincka, where Tony disappeared, is 1000 kilometers north of Adelaide and about 40 kilometers from the Queensland border.