NSW Floods: Lismore community ‘bound together’ in neighbourly flood rescues

Everyday heroes and surfing legends alike have jumped into action, braving the raging floodwaters to rescue stranded and vulnerable neighbours.

Surfing legend Mick Fanning came to the rescue on Tuesday morning for northern NSW pharmacist Skye Swift, calling out from his jet ski: “We’ve got an emergency – we’ve got to get Skye to the pharmacy.”

A 40-year-old pharmacist from Tweed Heads, Ms Swift put out a call on her Facebook community page asking if anyone could help her travel through 30km of floodwaters to get to work.

“The whole of Murwillumbah is flooded and there are four pharmacies in town but no pharmacist could actually get access,” Ms Swift told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday.

“A few people thought it was a joke but others said there were jet skis about so I drove as far as I could but I got cut off at Terranora.

“Thankfully a group from The Pasta Factory were just launching a tinnie and I said can you guys get me to town … So we jumped on the tinnie and went across the flooded paddocks.”

The next thing Ms Swift knew, Fanning arrived on a jet ski to take her to work.

Three times world champion surfer Mick Fanning pulled up on a jet ski to rescue pharmacist Skye Swift.

“I had a little chuckle and was like ‘oh, it’s Mick, what a legend’,” Ms Swift said.

“He was so great. On the way some people were actually waving us down so we ­actually did another rescue.”

The Varela and Swift Pharmacy co-owner said she was met with her five assistants, all barefooted and ready to provide the vital service.

“People are coming up the back lane by boat,” she said.

“We’ve also just had the SES come in to get some life-saving medication out to ­people by boat.”

Murwillumbah is experiencing near historic flood levels. Picture: Facebook

As young mum Kate Samson tightly clutched her son on a rooftop amid rising floodwaters near Lismore, a helicopter crew member told her the agonising news that there was no room left for her husband to board.

“It just hovered and a guy came down on a winch and winched us up,” Ms Samson told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday.

“It was terrifying because … they told us they wouldn’t be able to fit (my husband in).

“They can’t fly after dark, it was already dark.”

Kate Samson, Eva Bowmast and their kids Java (7) and Tendah (1), recover on after their dramatic helicopter rescue. Picture: Supplied

The helicopter scooped up Ms Samson and fellow young mum Eva Bowmast along with their children, aged 7 and 1, from the Bungawalbin farmhouse they had taken refuge in on Monday.

When they touched down at Ballina they were sheltered by retired teacher Colleen Crawford, whose house was not flooded and who said she wanted to do anything to help.

Ms Samson and Ms Bowmast’s husbands along with their older children were later rescued.

“We’re so thankful to Colleen and her husband,” Ms Samson said.

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Further south, police and SES crews teamed up to rescue Kyle and Elly-Mae Eggins along with their children Cooper, 10, Selena, 7, Brock, 5, and Emmy-Jane, 5 months, from the bulging Clarence River on Tuesday evening.

Kyle Eggins, wife Ellymae and their kids Selena 7 (pink jacket), Cooper 10 (green jacket), Brock 5 (blue jacket) and baby Emmy-Jane needed to be evacuated from their Gulmarrad property after the South Arm river inundated their property. Picture: Toby Zerna

The Eggins household, just south of Maclean, was under threat from menacing floodwaters when the couple decided to call for help over worry about having their youngest on the property.

The relieved family jumped into an SES punt and headed north along the Clarence back towards the base in Maclean.

The emergency crews and children had to duck their heads as they passed under a bridge given the water was so high.

The Eggins family and their rescuers ducks as they approach a bridge across the Clarence River. Picture: Toby Zerna

“It was still coming up … it was a little bit on edge with a little baby, five months old,” Mr Eggins told The Daily Telegraph after reaching dry land.

Kyle and Ellymae feared for their children, especially 5-month-old daughter Emmy Jane. Picture: Toby Zerna

“(We can) come in here at least and my old girl lives up on the hill here, so we’re high and dry.”

Ms Eggins said she was worried as the power had cut out in their home.

“It’s okay through the day, but night time comes, and when the power went off this morning I’m like, nope, (we’re leaving),” she said.

“It’s hard … (the night-time is hard) because there’s no power.”

Apenisa Marau said he and more than 40 other Fijian men – who have only just arrived in the area to work at a local abattoir – immediately volunteered to help rescue people from rooftops in boats across Lismore.

“With the boys, it is more just like an instinct – they just wanted to be out there to see what we could do for the community, it was such a coming together,” Mr Marau told The Daily Telegraph.

A heroic squad of Fijian abattoir workers rescued people and livestock on the edge of Lismore’s CBD. Picture: Media Mode

“We were mostly out on boats just knocking on rooftops from one house to another to see if anyone was inside the house and trying to get them to safety.”

Two Mates Brewing co-founder Grant Smith had to kick his way out of his Lismore brewery’s roof before helping to rescue his elderly neighbour, Ruby Moodley.

Mr Smith said Ms Moodley did not have long to live before a man on a surf ski took her from her house to the rooftop of his brewery as the menacing flood waters rose.

The floodwaters in Lismore are beginning to recede, but many are returning to unrecognisable homes. Picture: Andrew Sibley/Getty Images

“It was extraordinary bravery, I don’t know his name … what he did, that saved her life,” Mr Smith said.

“She was sitting on her balcony holding onto her post – she was gone, she was 30m from my sight.

“She was on the brink of being washed away.”

Mr Smith helped Ms Moodley keep safe before they were later picked up from the brewery’s rooftop by other Lismore residents on a boat.

An emotional Mr Smith said he was still coming to terms with his business being smashed by the flood.

Dawn Saint is lifted out of the SES punt after being rescued from her house in Brushgrove near Maclean. Picture: Toby Zerna

“It was surreal, I’ve woken up this morning thinking it was a bad dream, I was isolated from my family, my business,” Mr Smith said.

“It’s only been running for about two months, to see it being pulled apart was quite devastating.

“It’s full front of mind.”

Aidan Ricketts, who helped to rescued about 16 people in a boat in Lismore on Monday, said he had heard yelling. “It wasn’t really a choice, neighbours were yelling at me to rescue them,” he said.

“At dawn it was incredibly raw, we were one of the first boats on the water.”

Anyone with a boat became a rescuer, including neighbours Toby Collings and Beau Weekes. Picture: Media Mode

Plumber Toby Collings, 38, did not hesitate to jump in a small tinny with his neighbour and start rescuing stranded people from rooftops in recent days across Lismore.

“The community has just jelled so well … everyone has realised how bad (the situation) is,” he said on Tuesday.

“It’s so devastating, it’s binding everyone together.”

Mr Collings rescued multiple people in the city including one man from a balcony at the popular Gollan Hotel.

“We rescued him with floating beds around, we managed to get him to safety,” he said.

But Mr Collings said it was not just him involved.

“There were so many other boats saving people,” he said.

Originally published as NSW Floods: Lismore community ‘bound together’ in neighbourly flood rescues