SES worker breaks leg sandbagging during Maryborough flood emergency

An SES worker, who broke her leg while helping save a Maryborough home threatened by floodwaters, waited for hours in ‘incredible’ pain before help could reach her.

An SES worker, who fell and broke her leg while helping to sandbag a home in Maryborough, says she is “overwhelmed” by the support she has received.

Tina James, 54, a member of the Burrum Heads SES crew, had to wait about two hours for an ambulance on Tuesday as emergency crews were kept busy with multiple callouts and manning evacuation centres during Maryborough’s flood crisis.

She had been made a team leader of her crew for the first time when they went to Queen St to help an elderly man whose home was threatened by floodwaters.

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It was her first job after being deployed into the community after she had helped fill sandbags at various spots in the days leading up to the flooding.

The crew had just finished sandbagging his front door and were heading out back when Ms James slipped and fell.

“I just slipped on the ground, my left leg went one way and I went the other,” she said.

“It happened very quickly.

“I heard and felt a big crack, it was on a horrible angle.”

Ms James had to wait a couple of hours for paramedics to arrive, as the flood disaster kept emergency crews tied up.

But she said she understood why it took so long to reach her.

A spokeswoman from the Queensland Ambulance Service said it was a period of high demand amid challenging conditions.

She said multiple crews had also been stationed at evacuation centres across the region.

Ms James said the pain after breaking her leg was “incredible”, adding that she had been told he had passed out for a while as a result.

“I was shaking,” she said.

Just six weeks ago, Ms James devoted her time to helping people in need during the floods that hit Maryborough in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Seth.

“We were there sandbagging and scooping out mud,” she said.

She’s grateful for the support she’s received since injuring herself on the job.

“It could have happened to anyone,” she said.