Emergency services were called as a woman attempted to cross Sailors Creek in her four-wheel drive about 10am.

Very shortly into the attempt, the car was swept up, leaving the woman trapped but uninjured.

She was able to escape the vehicle around the time that emergency crews arrived on the scene.

Daylesford Senior Sergeant Matthew Flood said the incident provided a stark reminder of how dangerous such situations could be.

"It can be very dangerous when people underestimate the depth of water in front of them, as well as their vehicle's ability to cross that water," he said.

"We've had heaps of rain in recent days and weeks, so there's a lot of water moving around at the moment.

"The creek where it happened resembled much more of a river than a creek the water was moving that quickly.

"The last thing anyone wants is for someone to be stuck in a situation like that where the outcome could be potentially a lot more severe."

The State Emergency Service says people should never drive through flood waters.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.