Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky is slammed for driving into floodwater on a road trip with her children - before taking selfies and escaping through a car window
Chris Hemsworth's wife, Elsa Pataky, has been slammed by Australians on social media after she attempted to drive through a flooded road in Byron Bay on Monday.
The Spanish actress, 44, angered fans by posting videos to Instagram of herself escaping through a passenger window and abandoning the car, before a friend was forced to tow away the vehicle.
While she laughed off the incident, some argued that the mother-of-three should have known better than to drive through floodwater when she didn't know its depth.
Backlash: Chris Hemsworth's wife, Elsa Pataky, has been slammed by Australians on social media after she attempted to drive through a flooded road in Byron Bay on Monday
Angry Aussies flocked to Facebook to criticise Elsa for putting herself and her passengers at risk of injury by driving through a flooded area.
The dangers of driving through floodwater are well documented.
Aside from potentially damaging the vehicle, someone who chooses to drive in floodwater risks sustaining major injuries - either while trying to leave the vehicle or by staying inside the vehicle as it floats away.
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According to the NRMA, it only takes shallow water for a car to become buoyant.
'Even if you have the good fortune to survive getting caught in a flood in your car, the damage your vehicle will certainly suffer will make you regret taking the chance,' the organisation warns.
Other fans questioned why Elsa had decided to upload videos to Instagram of herself in the car, rather than focus on the fraught situation at hand.
'Dumb*** decided it's a great time for a selfie!' one person raged.
Not impressed! Angry Aussies flocked to Facebook to criticise Elsa for putting herself and her passengers at risk of injury by driving through floodwater
'Great time for a selfie!' Several fans questioned why Elsa had decided to upload videos to Instagram of herself in the car, rather than focus on the fraught situation at hand
'I think I have run deeper baths': Meanwhile, others claimed Elsa was overreacting by climbing out the window, as the water 'didn't look so deep'
Meanwhile, several others claimed that Elsa had overreacted by climbing out of the window, as the water 'didn't look so deep'.
'Give it a rest, that's not a flood, [it's] two inches of water,' one Facebook user griped, while another joked: 'I think I have run deeper baths.'
Despite the perilous situation, Elsa managed to stay positive as she documented her escape on Instagram, where she has more than 3.8 million followers.
'Great': While she laughed off the incident, some of Elsa's fans argued that the mother of three should have known better than to drive through floodwater when she didn't know its depth
She was joined on the ill-fated road trip by her children and friend Luke Zocchi, who is her husband's longtime personal trainer.
The Fast and the Furious star began by sharing a video from the driver's seat which showed the murky water surrounding the car.
'A bit too optimistic? I was so sure I could cross,' she captioned the clip in Spanish and English, before adding: 'Help me!'
Elsa followed this up with another video in which she could be heard saying: 'I got stuck. Awesome. Oh god, oh god. What am I doing?'
'My only option': As the situation escalated, Elsa had no choice but to abandon the vehicle
Team work: She was joined on the ill-fated road trip by her children and friend Luke Zocchi, who is her husband's longtime personal trainer
Rescue mission: Luke (pictured) and several others prepared to tow the vehicle away after everyone had escaped
She then uploaded a clip of herself clambering out a window and wading through the water to safety, adding: 'My only option... through the window.'
A final video showed Luke and several other men preparing to tow the vehicle away.
The footage was most likely recorded in Byron Bay, where the Hemsworths own a $20million mansion. The area has been hit by heavy rain in the past two days.
'Ready for the rescue?' Despite the perilous situation, Elsa managed to stay positive as she documented her escape on Instagram, where she has more than 3.8 million followers
Home turf: The footage was most likely recorded in Byron Bay, where the Hemsworths own a $20million home. The area has been hit by heavy rain recently. Pictured: Chris and Elsa in 2015
Towns across New South Wales are being battered this week by wild weather, with more than 100mm of rain dumped in the state overnight on Monday as winds reached 120km/h.
As of Tuesday morning, the NSW SES has responded to more than 2,030 jobs across the state since the downpours started at midnight on Saturday.
Dramatic pictures have captured the extent of severe flooding, which forced some residents to evacuate and left about 14,500 homes and businesses without power.
A man is seen standing knee-deep in floodwater in the NSW South Coast town of Sussex Inlet on Monday
A massive low pressure system off Australia's east coast brought 120km/h winds overnight and dumped more than 100mm of rain. Pictured is Sussex Inlet on Monday
The towns in Shoalhaven, on the NSW south coast, had only just began recovering from bushfires which left hundreds homeless.
Parts of southeast Queensland have also seen the wettest July day in 15 years.
The Hunter Valley had flash flooding along with the NSW central coast, which received 152mm of rain overnight.
Up to 66 homes at Wamberal, on the New South Wales central coast (pictured), are classified as 'at risk' after monster waves battered the coast creating erosion on the shore
The savage weather has also left luxury beachside homes already teetering on the edge of a cliff further exposed in the central coast town of Wamberal.
Residents from up to 30 houses on one street, Ocean View Drive, have been advised to evacuate after consulting with structural engineers.
Further south of Shoalhaven, Batemans Bay recorded 164mm of rainfall - the highest July total ever seen.
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