The man at the centre of a viral social media video showing him rescuing a wallaby from floodwaters in Brisbane's north says he is not "just an idiot who jumped into the water".
The video, filmed by a bystander on Sunday, captured the moment the Keperra man swam towards a wallaby in deep, muddy floodwaters at Everton Park before guiding it towards a higher section of road.
Jason, who chose not to disclose his surname, told ABC Radio Brisbane he was at a friend's house on Camelia Avenue watching floodwaters flow through Kedron Brook when his son, Dylan, spotted the animal trapped in the water.
"It was just swimming around in circles and its head went under a couple of times," he said.
Jason said he made a snap decision to enter the water and help the confused and exhausted animal.
"I gave my phone and the umbrella to the young fella and approached the water and then just started swimming because she was going under, she just swam around in circles going nowhere."
Before entering the water Jason said he noticed debris was floating rather than following a current and the section of water the wallaby was in was "fairly still".
"Where I walked up to before I dove in there was no current whatsoever.
"I was definitely mindful of that."
It is not the first time Jason has had to catch a wallaby, but this retrieval was particularly challenging.
First, he attempted to bring the frightened animal closer by grabbing its tail.
"I was talking calmly to her and I put my left arm under her rib cage to support her a bit," he said.
Right before the footage of the rescue cuts off, the wallaby reaches the shore before hopping back into the flooded creek.
Jason said despite being asked by a nearby police officer to stop what he was doing, he retrieved the animal from a patch of reeds again and took her to a nearby property to rest while wildlife services were called to check its health.
Floodwaters dangerous to health
Queensland's emergency services have constantly warned people against entering floodwaters, which have so far claimed the lives of nine people.
Floating debris, strong currents and damaged roads hidden by muddy water all pose a safety risk.
Polluted floodwaters are also dangerous due to possibility of wounds, infections, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis and ear, nose and throat infections.
Jason said he made a conscious effort to keep his head above the water during the rescue attempt but admitted to feeling "a bit crook" the next day.
"There was a bit of splashing here and there and I did get a bit of water in my mouth," he said.
