Camille O’Sullivan stuck in Cordelia home for six days as crocodiles lurk in floodwaters

A woman and her daughter were trapped in their home on the banks of a rampaging NQ for six days because of the fear of what was lurking beneath murky floodwaters.

A woman and her daughter were trapped in their home on the banks of the rampaging Herbert River for six days because of the high likelihood that a saltwater crocodile was lurking in the murky floodwaters.

Camille O’Sullivan, a relief primary and high school teacher, said she had only been able to emerge from her flooded two-storey home in Cordelia on Thursday.

“I couldn’t walk down the stairs because the water was murky and we’ve already had two, 3.8 metre crocodiles taken from the back here in the last three years.” she said.

Camille O'Sullivan, a Catholic Education teacher, outside her flood-ravaged home in Cordelia on the banks on the Herbert River. Picture: Cameron Bates

“So the chances are there could have been one there so we couldn’t walk downstairs at all until yesterday because of the risk of crocodiles under the house.”

She said they had seen a big croc in the Herbert out the back of her home a couple of weeks ago.

“We just know, when the water is murky, keep away from the edge, even yesterday I still couldn’t go beyond the garage because the water was still lapping against the concrete,” she said.

Think mud coating Eddleston Dr that runs through the flood-ravaged town. Picture: Cameron Bates

“That’s where a croc will surface because they are tired, they’ve been swimming in that floodwater, they want to come and rest.”

Ms O’Sullivan said her daughter who lived two doors down was forced to flee her flooded home as Cordelia was inundated in historic flooding.

Even the Rural Fire Brigade was not spared from the devastating floodwaters that ravaged Ingham and Hinchinbrook Shire. Picture: Cameron Bates

“It was pretty scary, Saturday night was pretty scary, it had come under the house and it was this gushing sound, that sound of the water rushing under the house was extremely disconcerting.”

She said the smell of the vast amounts of mud left behind in the wake of the flooding was triggering.

“It’s the stink, not having power, losing lots of things,” she said.

“I feel for the community more.”

She said that lost a car, which was insured, but a number of appliances that were not, including a washing machine, dryer, just lots of buckets, things like that, a fridge.”

Camille O'Sullivan, a Catholic Education teacher, standing on the banks of the Herbert River outside her flood-ravaged home in Cordelia. Picture: Cameron Bates

Ms O’Sullivan said her next-door neighbour had lost a ride-on mower that was swept away into an adjacent cane field.

She said the mould was starting to set in, which would likely result in additional damage to clothing and other products made with material.

“Things had started to mould on Saturday and Sunday, my whole bedroom stunk of mould but the sun came out yesterday, so I chucked stuff on the roof to dry so my pillows, stuff like that I could get dry.”

Originally published as Camille O’Sullivan stuck in Cordelia home for six days as crocodiles lurk in floodwaters