'Very cold, extremely scared': driver's lucky escape from raging floodwater

SES and police had flanked both sides of the swollen creek on Tantalla Street, but could not get close enough to help rescue a man and his dog trapped inside.

"It was so scary," Deb said.

"[Onlookers] were saying 'the car is going, it is moving'. And then the car did three turns in the water and dove headfirst down the rapid".

The rescue came after severe thunderstorm rolled across the state on Tuesday, pelting much of central Victoria with large hailstones and heavy rain.

People who waded into the water to try and help with the rescue, putting their "own lives at risk", have been praised by police.

The 60-year-old man and his dog were "lucky to be alive" after driving into the fast moving floodwater as torrential rain hit Wedderburn on January 2, police said.

He was driving along Tantalla Street in the town's north when he attempted to drive across the flooded road and was swept away.

Emergency services worked to help the pair, who were thrown a rope and pulled to safety as they scrambled to stay on top of the half-submerged vehicle.

The man by that stage was "very cold, and extremely scared", police said. He was taken by ambulance to Bendigo Health where he was discharged on January 3.

Deb said people ran the length of the creek to help before the car came to rest near Nardoo Creek and police praised the community spirit.

"We would like to thank the locals that have actually stepped up and helped a member of their community," Wedderburn Police Sergeant Ben Huisman said.

"We get paid to do this sort of thing, and we would not have been able to do it without them."

Sergeant Huisman said the water had reached the driver's chin while he was submerged in the vehicle, in what was an "extremely close call".

He said the near miss was a lesson to never to drive through flood waters.

"You do not know the depth, you do not know the speed, and only a small amount of flood water is enough to lift your vehicle up and get you in a lot of trouble," Sergeant Huisman said.

"Whether you are a local or not, you might think that you know the roads, but you don't know what damage is caused underneath the surface."

Users on Facebook, where a video of the flood rescue was posted with the caption "lucky to be alive", echoed police's call.

"Absolutely sickening to watch ... incredibly lucky indeed," one user said.

"When will people ever learn not to drive on flooded roads, glad everyone is safe," another said.

The man's vehicle ended up fully submerged in the flooded area near Nardoo Creek, where it still laid the afternoon of January 3.

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