Brisbane floods: Multiple rescues as water levels rise
Multiple residents have been left “stranded and screaming” at Windsor in Brisbane’s inner north, according to a community group post. It follows earlier mercy missions around the city. SEE THE VIDEOS
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Multiple residents have been left “stranded and screaming” at Windsor in Brisbane’s inner north, according to a community group post.
“SES has been called and are 72 hours away,” Anna Jane wrote.
“People are stranded and the water is rising”.
Ms Jane desperately urged anyone with a boat or jetski to get in contact with her immediately.
In the same community group, Lisa Donaldson made a post saying she is also stranded.
“Can anyone help us we are stranded with two families and kids in Albany Street, Windsor,” Ms Donaldson said.
“Water is rising at top level flood boards police can’t come soon enough”.
Ms Donaldson said there are also four other houses that also need rescuing.
“We have a tinny coming but there is four houses to get an one is full of kids and disabled kids so could use more help if possible,” she said.
Another commenter said, “Surely SES would make you guys a priority”.
Ms Donaldson replied, “We tried we couldn’t get through.”
“Police said few hours at least, we don’t have that long.”
Earlier, swiftwater crews have managed to rescue a couple from the roof of their property on Ashgrove Ave in Newmarket.
The street has flooded near the intersection of Enoggera Rd.
Debbie and Paul Edwards were rescued, leaving from their rooftop tonight after waters inundated their home, and have praised the efforts of rescue crews.
“It was like a river running through the house,” Mr Edwards said.
Ms Edwards said: “The rescue crews were very very quick and they did a great job.”
Ms Edwards said the water was flowing too fast near the side of the home where the caravan park used to be so they had to get on to the roof and come down from a different direction.
Their son, Harry Edwards, who was on the street watching as the rescue went down, has told how he discovered the predicament they were in and how it came about so quickly.
“I was facetiming my Mum,” Mr Edwards said.
“It was knee high and then to the roof of the shed which is 2m high.
“She said ‘I will call you back’ and then I couldn’t get through to her and called triple-0.
“And then I raced over here.”
The drama follows an earlier incident where a man was pulled from the Brisbane River at Howard Smith Wharves after his house boat sank in the fast-moving water that was impacted by astronomical rainfall and a 7.30am high tide.
The man was just one of many who had to be saved from floodwaters in Brisbane on Sunday, including some residents who were evacuated from their homes on stand-up paddleboards and surfboards.
Police began receiving reports just before 9am of the house boat being hit by a pontoon and floating down the river at Kangaroo Point.
The houseboat hit the Holman Street ferry terminal at Kangaroo Point just before 9am.
The boat capsized. A man on board escaped but he was tracked by police to the other side of the river.
He was then helped ashore by members of the public at Howard Smith Wharves.
He was assessed by paramedics and a Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said the man was uninjured and suffering mildly from exposure to the elements.
He was in a stable condition and declined transport to hospital.
Inner city Brisbane residents are rescuing their neighbours using surfboards and stand-up-paddle boards as water continues to flood streets and houses this afternoon.
Liam Lewers paddled his girlfriend Grace Coubrough and dog Daisy out of their Windsor property just after 2pm.
Ms Coubrough said they woke to water on the streets below Newmarket Rd but thought they were safe after high tide as the water appeared to recede.
“We thought we could just stay at home and we were calm but once the water started rising again and came close to the house behind us we realised we had to go,” she said.
Mr Lewers grabbed his surfboard and called an old house mate who met them at the water’s edge, on the corner of Victoria and Taylor St, with a large stand-up-paddle board.
He returned for Daisy first, then Ms Coubrough who rushed to get their sentimental possessions as high as possible within their home.
She said the water was approaching the second floor of her apartment building, with homes flooding on at least lower Victoria St, Nicholas St, Cullen St and Northey St.
“I’m really nervous about losing my clothes and furniture and work stuff but getting Daisy out was the priority,” Ms Coubrough said.
“She hates storms and was really freaking out.
“We didn’t feel safe there after the apartment below us filled up.”
Residents of the neighbourhood were paddling around the streets and checking on each other about 2.30pm.
Once Ms Coubrough and Daisy were on dry land, Mr Lewers returned to check on his neighbours who had planned to ride out the flood.
Lisa Camus, from an SES swift water crew at Milton said they have rescued more than 25 people just on Sunday morning.
Karina Yandall and Adin Richardson and their dog Detroit were among those rescued this morning from their home on Haig Rd.
“We thought we could stay but it turns out probably not a good idea,” Mr Richardson said.
“We thought it might go down when the tide was going down but it just kept rising.
“Our neighbour said that in 2011 our place flooded so they said you probably should leave.”
They grabbed what they could before being rescued.
“You learn what is valuable and what is not before you leave,” Ms Yandall said.
“There were only a couple of pieces of art that we got high … it was not worth the worry (of trying to save more items.”
Myers Ellyett architecture director William Ellyett and his business partner Jade Myers bought a new property for their business at the Baroona Rd five ways where flood waters have been lapping at their front stairs.
The business, which has 17 staff, had just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating and had already replaced some flooring which was damaged in the 2011 floods.
They were helping people get off swift water rescue boats this morning.
“We moved out of our old office on Friday and moved everything in and we’ve just dragged everything out,” Mr Ellyett said.
“It wasn’t quite ready, this was the last week ahead, we just had the floor polishers here this morning.”
Mr Ellyett said they had only recently bought the property after eyeing it off for years.
“When we bought it we said it will never flood again in Brisbane,” Mr Ellyett said.
“When we were moving out (of our last location) on Friday we were saying ‘it’s not going to flood is it, surely it won’t’.
“To be honest we were lucky we weren’t in here, if we were all in here … and all the furniture was in, it could’ve been much worse.
“The problem is, this floor, is a brand new floor because the last floor was so flood damaged we ripped it up and they’ve just laid this brand new floor.
“It’s kind of ironic right?”
Russell Ryans lost his 28 foot boat Power Gel this morning from the back of his property at Jindalee.
It is currently resting at the Park Rd Milton ferry depot where he was watching it this morning.
“There was no saving it, it just came up so quick,” he said.
“There was no chance to do anything about it really.
“It came up too high, it unhitched itself.
“A mate told me it was down here.”
Mr Ryans has owned the boat for about eight years.
“I don’t know (about the damage) until I get out there, it’s probably salvageable,” he said.
“Nothing looks too serious at the moment.
“The only issue will be with the water rising, if it raises a metre who knows.
“They haven’t learnt from the 11 (floods), to be honest with you, this is probably going to get higher.”
Heather Ann went back to her Baroona Rd property this morning to help her tenants who had already left.
“I just got in, it is probably knee deep in water,” she said.
“We’ve lifted everything, we’ve tried to get everything on to crates and benches.
“But we might have to go back in and lift things even higher.
“It’s come up really fast.
“It’s a rental property and the tenants obviously knew before I did and got out, but they’ve still got all their stuff in there.”
Ms Ann said the 2011 floods went to the top of her windows.
“I just hope it doesn’t get any higher,” she said.
“Palaszczuk said it wasn’t going to be as bad, I hope not.”
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