Emergency food flown to campers cut off by swollen creeks

SLSQ Gold Coast supervisor Nathan Fife said the City of Gold Coast organised for food and fresh water to be delivered to the hangar on Tuesday morning and the helicopter did the rest.

“It is the back of a Canungra property where the 11 campers are trapped by floodwaters. The water was a metre over the gauges and they crossed 11 creeks to get out to where they were,” he said.

“I think they [campers] just got caught out a bit, perhaps they just didn’t think that much rain was coming to the hinterland and would make the creeks run as high as they have.

“It was a tricky job for the pilot, the campsite was on a bit of a hill, there was muddy ground and a lot of trees and powerlines around.

“We dropped a fair bit of food and water to them yesterday, so they have enough for the next few days. They have mobile reception and they might be able to get out as early as tomorrow afternoon.

“It was definitely a bit of a different job for the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter, but it is there for the community, wherever they need help – on the beach or in the hinterland.”

Mr Fife said the Gold Coast had recorded 11-metre waves offshore and waves of up to four metres on the beaches this week.

There had been some erosion at the Southport Main Beach but otherwise the Gold Coast’s stretches of sand remained intact.

On Monday and Tuesday, the king tide lapped at the doors of Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Club on the Gold Coast, with left a thick layer of seafoam around the building.

Gold Coast council officers and lifeguards were assessing the southern beaches on Wednesday for possible reopening dates – all Gold Coast beaches remained closed on Tuesday.

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The state’s highest rainfall total from 9am on Tuesday to 9am on Wednesday was the rural Central Highlands community of Consuelo, an estimated 400km west of Bundaberg, which recorded 75mm.

Kandanga in the Gympie region received 29mm, Morayfield – north of Brisbane – saw 25mm, Sippy Downs on the Sunshine Coast recorded 16mm and 58mm fell at Ormiston in Redland City.

Brisbane City recorded just 2mm from 9am on Tuesday to 9am on Wednesday, while 21mm fell at Molendinar on the Gold Coast and Upper Springbrook in the Scenic Rim had just 2mm.