The Sunshine Coast-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue chopper crew airlifted a further four motorists, trapped by rising water, as the aerial response to the weather emergency continues.
Just after 2.40pm (Saturday 8th Jan) the chopper was tasked to rescue a couple stranded in their SUV, which was caught between two sources of rising flood water, in the North Burnett region.
As the chopper flew over the Fraser Coast region, the crew scanned the flood zone, knowing there were still people unaccounted for.
They fortunately spotted two people emergency services had been previously unaware were missing.
The couple was waving a sheet, in a desperate effort to attract their attention.
RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter pilot Peter Marris diverted to the new emergency, as the crew could see the couple’s white campervan was surrounded by water on all sides.
The pilot was able to land safely and the man and woman were escorted to the helicopter.
They told the crew they were interstate visitors and had been driving from Airlie Beach to the Sunshine Coast on Friday, when their GPS unexpectedly diverted them off the Bruce Highway and onto roads which were quickly going under water.
With no phone signal and no idea of the scale of the unfolding weather emergency, they had been trapped for more than 24 hours, constantly moving their van during the night as water kept rising.
“We were just so lucky, where we moved to, if we had stayed at the side of the road that night we probably would have been taken away,” the woman said, “If we had been even 50 metres the other away, we probably would have been swept away during the night.”
They eventually abandoned the vehicle and made their way on foot, to the highest ground they could find.
“We were so lucky, just so lucky. We saw the helicopter and because we were just aggressively waving the sheet around, they must have seen us and they came around,” the rescued woman said.
They were escorted to the aircraft, relieved and grateful to have been found.
“We can’t thank you guys at LifeFlight enough for what you do. I was just so thankful. The crews are actually just saving lives. When I saw them, that was when I just knew we were going to be okay,” said the woman.
“Honestly, the things that they do, they are just incredible. Just amazing. The organisation is great and we just can’t thank everyone enough. Thank you guys!”
The couple was airlifted to a nearby town.
The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew immediately took off again, heading for the location of the original tasking, where they quickly found a couple stranded, surrounded by water, but safe on high ground in their black SUV.
The chopper landed and the man and woman were taken aboard.
They told their rescuers they had also been driving on the Bruce Highway on Friday night, when their GPS directed them to turn off, but they soon found themselves cut off by water.
They did have phone signal and had been able to raise the alarm and tell authorities their location.
They were airlifted to the same town as the first rescued couple.
Both parties were very kindly taken in and given shelter, by a local resident.
The rescue of the two couples followed a number of flood-related missions by the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter fleet yesterday. (Sat 8th)
The Sunshine Coast helicopter crew began the day airlifting a family of four who had spent the night trapped in their car, after their GPS directed them off the highway.
The same crew then winched a family of three to safety, from the second storey of their flooded property in the Fraser Coast region.
The Toowoomba-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew airlifted a man to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, after he was injured when he drove his car into flood water in the Gympie region.
The RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopters have been involved in the multi-agency response to the flood emergency, working with QAS, QPS, QFES and the SES in responding to multiple calls for help from people caught in the flood zone.
The aerial response is being coordinated by Retrieval Services Queensland (RSQ) on behalf of Queensland Health.
