Horrific—yet still somehow heartwarming—video footage has emerged of a giant spider clinging to a tree branch before being rescued from flood waters in Australia.
The short clip shows the huge spider holding on for dear life as flood water swept through the town of Halifax, north Queensland on March 11.
Several towns in the north-eastern state in Australia have by affected by flooding after the Herbert River broke its banks following extensive rainfall, resulting in hundreds of homes being damaged.
According to Channel 9 news, locals managed to rescue the spider from the branch after seeing it in trouble and place it on an avocado tree in the town centre.
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The video, which was uploaded onto Facebook by Halifax resident Andrea Gofton along with the caption "my excitement for the day...saved a spider," has been viewed more than 50,000 times since it was posted onto the social network.
Giving an update to the situation, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) said the floods will still take a couple of days to recede and have asked people to remain patient.
QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll also thanked residents that helped with the preparations.
"The community has played a big role in making sure everyone stays as safe as possible during this flood event," she said in a statement.
"Our swift water rescue figures have stayed low and, in the vast majority of cases, people have made sensible choices to evacuate early and avoid flooded areas."
The army had to deliver emergency food supplies to a group of around 70 schoolchildren by helicopter after they became stranded during a camping trip near Tully, Queensland, due to the flooding.
State Disaster Coordinator Deputy Commissioner Bob Gee praised the school staff and students as being "fantastic" during the crisis.
"Local police and teachers on the ground have done an outstanding job so far ensuring the safety and the spirits of all the children are maintained," he told the Courier Mail.
Carroll also praised the efforts of the Fire and Rescue staff and State Emergency Service (SES) and Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers as "second to none."
"I am proud of the efforts of the QFES workforce who are reaching out and helping their local communities during this flood event," she added.
"Crews have been working hard, undertaking various assistance activities including rapid damage assessment, welfare checks, evacuation assistance and emergency clean-up assistance as the waters in many areas across north Queensland recede. "
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