There are days when the job asks more than anyone could reasonably give — and then there are people like Senior Constable Ben Parfitt, who gave it anyway.
On the night of **March 12–13, 2026**, as floodwaters tore through Katherine in the Northern Territory at levels not seen since the 1990s, Parfitt and his search and rescue colleagues spent nearly **24 continuous hours** doing something that would make him the most talked-about police officer in Australia: pulling people — and animals — out of the flood.
**27 Kids, No Power, No Food**
The call that most would remember came from a local caravan park. A group of **27 high school students** and their teachers — on what was supposed to be a camping weekend — were stranded without power, water, or food as the floodwaters rose around them. The Bureau of Meteorology had predicted a serious event; what arrived was, in one official's words, *"worse than the worst-case scenario."*
Parfitt and his team took to boats and ferried every single one of those students and teachers to safety at a makeshift school shelter — journey by journey, through dark water, with current running strong.
By the time the last student was accounted for, the town was still flooding. And Parfitt was still working.
**The Image That Went Everywhere**
Latex than 90% of the rescues that night involved people stranded in cut-off homes and vehicles. One image — captured by a helicopter crew — found its way onto social media and stopped people in their tracks: a **German shepherd**, stranded on the roof of a four-wheel drive slowly sinking into the flood, with Parfitt's boat pulling alongside to get it off.
The dog was rescued. The picture was perfect. A man in uniform, a frightened dog on a rooftop, water everywhere, and competence so steady it looked almost calm.
Some rescues included **up to 12 animals in a single boat trip** — dogs, cats, and in one memorable case, a swimming cow that needed guiding to higher ground.
**"Worse Than the Worst-Case Scenario"**
Katherine, a town of about 6,000 people in the tropical north, sits on the Katherine River — a fast and unpredictable waterway that has flooded before but not like this in decades. The 2026 event brought a sustained surge that left huge portions of the town submerged.
For local families, the floods meant lost vehicles, damaged homes, and a terrifying night of uncertainty. For the students who ended up in that caravan park, it meant a story they'll tell for the rest of their lives — the night the police came in boats and brought them somewhere dry.
**The Response: An Outpouring**
Across Australia, the reaction to Parfitt's story was immediate and warm. Social media filled with messages of support and gratitude. His actions became a focal point for a broader conversation about the extraordinary courage of emergency services workers who run toward exactly the kind of chaos everyone else is trying to escape.
Local officials described the 24-hour rescue operation as one of the most demanding in the territory's recent history. The volume of calls, the speed at which water moved, and the number of people who needed help all at once tested every resource available — and the people who responded to it.
Parfitt, by all accounts, just got on with it. Because that's what you do when people need you.
**The Dog Is Fine**
The German shepherd — found on the roof, rescued mid-flood, delivered to dry ground — is fine. The 27 students are fine. The teachers are fine. Parfitt, presumably, took a very long sleep.
The world is full of difficult news. But today, it's worth remembering: when the water rose in Katherine, someone showed up. 27 times over. And then went back for a dog. 🐕🚤
*Sources: The Guardian (March 13, 2026) · Northern Territory Police Force · ABC Australia · Bureau of Meteorology Australia*
