Tanya Hehir, Helen Bradford named as women drowned in Mary River Boxing Day tragedy

Two Gympie mothers, friends with a passion for running and hiking, have been identified as the women killed in a stormwater drain tragedy on Boxing Day.

Tanya Hehir and Helen Bradford were killed when they were washed out of a stormwater drain on Boxing Day.

Gympie mothers Helen Bradford and Tanya Hehir have been named as the two women tragically drowned when they were washed out of a stormwater drain and into the Mary River on Boxing Day.

Ms Hehir, 46, and Ms Bradford, 40, and a third woman, aged 46, were reportedly “exploring” a stormwater drain on a running trail near the Gympie Weir about 2.30pm Tuesday when a severe storm cell crossed the region.

They were among seven Queenslanders lost in the state’s deadly storms which battered much of the southeast on Christmas and Boxing Days and where homes and livelihoods have been destroyed and more than 47,000 are still without power.

Three men were killed when their boat flipped in Moreton Bay during an annual fishing trip while nine-year-old Mia Holland-McCormack drowned in floodwaters at Rochedale South.

Gympie mother Tanya Hehir drowned in an horrific incident at the Mary River near the centre of town on Boxing Day

A Gold Coast woman also died when she was struck by a falling tree while walking to her house in the middle of a storm.

Acting Superintendent Paul Algie said Wednesday the three Gympie women were “washed back through the drain, out to the Mary River” as stormwater rushed through.

The second 46-year-old suffered “moderate injuries” but was able to reach the river’s banks and call for help.

Helen Bradford was the second woman drowned in the tragedy at the Gympie Weir on the Mary River. Picture: Facebook.

Rescue crews then launched a desperate search for the missing women along river, as far as Widgee Crossing about 5km away.

Ms Bradford’s body was found by swift water rescue workers about 7.10pm Tuesday, near the entrance to the drain.

The much-loved Gympie mother was a worker at the Coffee Club, and an avid cycler, runner, walker and hiker who had climbed hinterland mountains and trails at places including Mapleton and Pomona.

Ms Hehir’s body was found about midday Wednesday near the weir.

The popular mother of two was a grand master of the region’s Hash House Harriers, having first joined in 1992.

She was an avid outdoor adventurer and enthusiast, whose passion had taken her along innumerable walking, running, and hiking trails including Kokoda.

Rescue crews launched a frantic search of the Mary River at Gympie for Tanya Hehir and Helen Bradford on Boxing Day, after the storm struck about 2.30pm. Photo: Scott Kovacevic

The storm cell dropped 18mm of rain on Gympie in less than 20 minutes, with wind gusts of up to 100km/h uprooting trees, shredding branches and ripping sheeting from shop’s roofs.

A series of storm cells which continued throughout the evening hampered search efforts along the river, and dropped another 29mm on the city.

The women’s deaths sparked an outpouring of grief on social media, with members of the community mourning the “heartbreaking” loss of the two “beautiful ladies”.

The stormwater drain where the tragedy occurred. Picture: Christine Schindler

KL Sheard said in a post Ms Hehir was “an absolute sweetheart of a lady, and a wonderful mother”, and Tanya Howard said the 46-year-old’s “smile and presence will be missed by so many”.

Sammie Cochrane said she was a “beautiful, kind person”.

Katie Cork would “miss our antics gorgeous lady”, and Sharnee Beutel was in “total disbelief”.