RACQ LifeFlight Rescue has performed a second overnight flood rescue, to save a couple stranded between rising floodwaters in far north-west Queensland.
The Mount Isa-based helicopter was tasked by Queensland Police Service (QPS) around 11.20pm last night (Dec 28th), after the couple’s car broke down in floodwaters, east of Burketown.
A passerby happened to come across the pair and raised the alarm.
The stranded couple set up a make-shift campsite on the side of the road, where they waited for help.
It’s believed they had been attempting to drive from Cairns to Darwin.
The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew flew to the search area, where the Aircrew Officer quickly spotted a car and a campfire, on the side of the road, around 2.30am.
The crew landed and helped the couple push the car further away from the floodwaters, in an effort to prevent further damage.
They then flew the couple and some of their belongings to Burketown, where they spent the rest of the night.
“They were very lucky to have someone stumble across them and call for help, given the very remote area,” RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Pilot Russell Procter said.
The mission came less than four hours after the crew returned from another flood rescue, west of Mount Isa.
They were tasked just after 6pm last night, to rescue a 10-year-old boy and his father, after their companions walked for twelve hours, to raise the alarm.
The group’s ute became bogged in floodwaters, west of Mount Isa, on Sunday evening.
The occupants spent the night in the car, before three of them set off around 6 o’clock yesterday morning (Monday 28th), to walk to Mount Isa, to call for help for the father and son, who remained behind.
After walking approximately 50 kilometres, the trio arrived at the police station around 6pm and pointed on a map to where their companions were stranded.
The Mount Isa-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter was tasked shortly after and flew directly to the location.
Just before last light, the crew located the man and child sitting on the roof of a vehicle and landed the helicopter on a dry patch of land nearby.
The pair did not require medical attention and were flown to Mount Isa Airport in good spirits.
RACQ LifeFlight Rescue Pilot Russell Procter said the father and son did all the right things.
“They had water with them. Despite having to wait such a long time to be rescued, they remained with their vehicle until help arrived.”
