“They climbed out through the window and had to swim to the edge of the water,” Mr Mitchell said. “They were very fortunate that a couple had come through floodwater from down south and they heard the SOS call over a two-way radio … they made their way up to them and called for help.”

Mr Mitchell said it was likely a wall of water came down Barambah Creek and, when he arrived on scene, he could see only the roof of the floating motorhome.

“The couple is lucky to have their lives,” he told the Courier Mail. “There’s still a lot of water to come so God knows where that campervan will end up.”

The couple was reportedly in good spirits this morning. They were taken to Gayndah by police for food and a change of clothes.

Evacuation centres have established by the Gympie Regional Council at the Goomeri and Kilkivan Halls for Goomeri, Kilkivan and Woolooga residents after the unprecedented weather event.

The Kilkivan Hall is also helping guests at the Kilkivan Caravan Park caught out by rising waters from the creek next to Rossmore Rd.

The motorhomers’ lucky escape has strong similarities with an incident last November in which a  grey nomad couple was forced to climb out of their caravan window to escape rising floodwaters in northern New South Wales.

• In far-eastern Victoria hundreds of campers were evacuated from a caravan park in Omeo yesterday when a creek burst its banks. Omeo received 114 mm of rain in 24 hours.
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