Prominent Daintree resident drowns in flooded river

A swollen Daintree River has claimed the life of one of the Far North’s best known and respected farmers.

THE little village of Daintree is reeling after losing its longtime unofficial sheriff in a boating tragedy on Daintree River on Friday.

Third generation Daintree resident Maurice Mealing, 78, drowned after falling from his boat while retrieving prawn traps about 2pm on July 1.

His wife of 55 years, Sarina Mealing, said he loved the river and was on it almost daily.

Mr Mealing had a Santa Gertrudis and Brahman cattle farm on the north side of the river until 2014, and made daily trips across to it.

The late Maurice Mealing pictured in Daintree with grandchildren Eleisha, Sophie, Joshua and Natasha. Picture: the Mealing family.

Mrs Mealing said local business owner Jan Von Keyserlingk saw Mr Mealing about 250m from the jetty in his boat, looked away for a moment, looked back and saw he had vanished.

“Jann saw him take the prawn traps out – when he looked back he was gone and the boat was empty,” she said.

Mr Mealing was found dead in the water by a local man helping with the search by dragging the river, at about 4pm.

“I’m glad they found him, I would still be worried, at least I have closure, and the crocs would have got him if he was in there overnight,” Mrs Mealing said.

Lifelong Daintree resident Maurice Mealing on Daintree River with two of his beloved working dogs.

“He wanted to get the prawn traps out of the river because he didn’t want them to float away in the flood.

“He wasn’t a good swimmer because he’d had polio in his arm, and he had a knee reconstruction 15 months ago, and he had a raincoat on as well,” she said.

Asked to describe her husband, she said retirement did not sit well with him and he kept busy.

“He always wanted to help people, he was helping Barry (Osborne) quieten some bulls, he loved doing those things, and he took three dogs to trials in June,” she said.

Third generation Daintree resident Maurice Mealing died aged 79 when he drowned in Daintree River on July 1. He is pictured with his wife of 55 years, Sarina. Picture: the Mealing family.

“He was a hard worker and he loved all his grandkids, and his kids.”

Fellow lifelong Daintree resident David Martin said Mr Mealing – whose nickname was ‘the sheriff’ – was well-liked.

“He was a very honest man,” Mr Martin said.

Prominent cattle breeder Shaun McGuigan said Mr Mealing was a pioneer in cattle management in the Far North.

“He was really passionate about his cattle and his bullocks, so proud to have the heaviest bullocks, and he was a pioneer in his way of working dogs, and always encouraging younger people to get into working dogs,” Mr McGuigan said.

Third generation Daintree resident Maurice Mealing died aged 79 when he drowned in Daintree River on July 1. Picture: the Mealing family.

“He had a young man’s zest for his cattle and his country, he was proud of keeping his place perfect, he was a true pastoralist.

“He was such a funny bugger, a day’s fishing was more about the camaraderie than the fishing,” Mr McGuigan said.

“Daintree won’t be the same without the sheriff.”

He is survived by wife Sarina, son Lance and wife Renay, daughter Belinda and husband Kevin, and grandchildren Eleisha, Joshua, Sophie and Natasha.

Mr Mealing’s funeral is tentatively planned for July 12 at Mossman.

Originally published as Prominent Daintree resident drowns in flooded river