Rescue drama for campers trapped by floods last week

Published: March 29, 2021

The heavy rains that hit much of the east coast last week left many travellers in sticky situations, but none quite as sticky as that which confronted four campers in northern NSW.

The group and their two dogs had to be winched to safety after they became stuck at a flooded campsite at Moree.

They had gone to bed last Tuesday feeling pretty comfortable, but when they woke found that the floodwater around them had risen significantly.

After being alerted to the crisis, the Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter flew to the scene and a critical care paramedic was winched down to the campers.

9News reports that, over two trips, the helicopter winched the campers and their dogs to safety. A child rescue capsule was used to winch the dogs, which included a Pomeranian and a Chihuahua.

LifeFlight’s Critical Care Flight Paramedic, Aaron Hartle, told 9News that the group told him they had become acquainted at the campsite and were monitoring rainfall in the region, over the past few days.

“They knew it was raining and knew it was flooding, but had discussed the situation and thought they’d be okay,” Mr Hartle told 9News. “When they woke up, the water was higher than knee-deep, so the group contacted the NSW SES, as there was no way out.”

While this was certainly one of the more dramatic incidents, there were plenty of other travellers who were forced to evacuate caravan parks and camping grounds as floodwaters rose.

  • How did last week’s flooding affect your travels? Comment below.
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Had to stay in Moree, trying to get to Qld. Eventually bit the bullet and went south to Narrabri, east to Tamworth and then north to Qld. A 450km trip turned into a 950km trip!

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