Behana Creek: Two child rescues this week in fast-flowing Aloomba waterway

A single causeway has been the site of two rescues this week as people ignore warnings about swimming in waterways during the wet season.

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A SINGLE causeway in Aloomba has been the site of two rescues this week as people ignore warnings about swimming in waterways during the wet season.

The causes under Moller Rd, in the lower reaches of Behana Creek, is a popular swimming spot but parts can become a dangerous torrent of fast-flowing water when currents pick up.

Division 1 Cr Brett Moller was just 13 when he made his first rescue at the causeway.

“My brother, a school mate and I pulled three young kids out who were sucked through the pipes,” he said.

“One was just a toddler.

“There have been many such events and many I have witnessed as well since then.

“My daughters witnessed one of the incidents this week.”

In the first of this week’s rescues, two Cairns Regional Council staff members came to the aid of a teenage boy trapped by the quick waters.

Cr Brett Moller and wife Beth both helped pull a young Victorian girl from the Behana Creek causeway in a dramatic rescue on December 29.

He had been tubing with friends on Behana Creek when his tube flipped and he was dragged under by a strong current and trapped against a drainage pipe that allows water to flow under the roadway.

The council employees, who were driving through the area, noticed the boy was in trouble and rushed to help.

They successfully helped the boy, who sustained only minor injuries.

Cr Moller said there had been other incidents where swimmers were sucked into the drainage pipes by currents and emerged on the other side of the road.

Behana Creek at Aloomba is a popular swimming hole with young families. PICTURE: Vicki Petterwood

“There are signs saying to stay away from the pipes, but it seems people just don’t pay attention to the dangers,” he said.

“The message has got to get out there — our waterways might be beautiful, but they are also dangerous, especially during the wet season.

“Water levels can rise without warning and currents can be very strong, even if there hasn’t been rain for a few days.

“The problem with currents is that you might not realise how strong they are until you’re in one and then it’s too late.”

Mayor Bob Manning said swimming in rainforest creeks was considered a rite of passage for locals, but caution was needed.

“When the weather is hot and you have pristine rainforest swimming holes in your backyard, it’s pretty hard to resist,” he said.

“We want people to enjoy the outdoors and the natural attractions that make our region so special.

“But we want them to do so safely.

“Never swim in any creek, river, causeway or drain during or after rain and check for currents before you enter the water.

“And — it goes without saying — always supervise kids around any waterway.”

Originally published as Behana Creek: Two child rescues this week in fast-flowing Aloomba waterway