FULL STORY: Family loses everything in Daintree flood
FAMILY SURVIVES FLOODS
RELATED: Family rescued by SES chopper caught in Daintree drama
UPDATED: After more than 16 hours, which included an uncertain night of if and when they would be rescued, they were finally lifted off the property in a delicate operation and flown to safer ground.
The family, who only moved to the Daintree from Magnetic Island in December last year, were forced from their manager’s cottage into a lodge on higher ground. The couple lost all their possessions and were facing another night with very little food before being plucked to safety by the SES Rescue Helicopter.
But there was some luck on their side and it came when Tony was able to make contact with Roger.
“Roger has wireless NBN and we got power to it via a generator and by using Whats App, we were able to get through to him and advise him of our plight.
“Had this not occurred, and knowing about the limited communication in the area, I am not sure what would have happened. We could still be sitting it out,” he said in an interview with Paul Makin from FAB FM.
And for the better part of today, Roger tried to secure a rescue service. The SES Helicopter was secured late this afternoon to save the family including their dog Dusty.
But the most bitter pill to swallow is that they have lost everything.
“All our stuff went under and we knew house was gone. We lost our furniture, the food, the fridge was last seen floating in the kitchen and the water was above the bed levels in the children’s rooms.
“We did manage to grab the hard drive with our photos and we think our computers are safe. I guess we’ll find out when we return. Also, the water had reached the back seat of one of the vehicles,” said Alicia.
While Alicia and Tony were concerned overnight about possible landslides, their three children handled the crisis like any child.
“They handled it well, they even slept soundly. I guess they did not understand the severity of the situation,” said Alicia.
Despite conceding it was ‘pretty hairy’, Tony said it “can’t get worse than this. We do hope to see sunshine sometime soon.”
The family will stay with the Allen’s until it is safe to return to the property.
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