Dramatic moment cyclist winched to safety from Snowy River

Dramatic footage has revealed the moment a cyclist was winched to safety after being trapped in the Snowy River in East Gippsland for hours.

The experienced cyclist became trapped in rapidly rising waters in the Suggan Buggan area shortly before 8pm on Monday.

Police said the experienced cyclist was trying to cross the Snowy River when the water levels began rising “higher than expected”, leaving them stranded in the middle of the river.

The 31-year-old cyclist was gripping to reeds in the middle of the river when they activated their satellite communication device.

The rescue team flew to the scene and scoured the river in search of the stranded cyclist.

Dramatic footage showed the moment the cyclist was spotted in the river, clinging to their bicycle as the water continued to flow.

“We’ve located the person in the river. They’re in among the reeds,” an Air Wing officer said in the clip.

“Our plan is to winch them out.”

An officer was slowly lowered into the river, picking up the cyclist and winching them back to safety shortly after 12am Tuesday.

The 31-year-old was taken to hospital for assessment and managed to escape without injury.