South Lismore family rescued after last-ditch Facebook plea

It was a friend indeed for a South Lismore family in need as their plea for help bounced overseas and back again - catching the eye of an off-duty firefighter.

A floodwater marker.

Help seemed a world away for a mother and her two young sons trapped in their South Lismore home - until a message relayed across the globe secured their salvation.

The woman, and her boys, one of them aged three, were seeking refuge from the rising floodwaters around 10am on Monday, February 28, when they realised it was too dangerous to get on the slippery roof of their Edward Street home and wait for help.

With no mobile signal and losing hope, the woman used internet access on her phone to send a distress message to a family friend overseas.

The message sent to a Fire and Rescue NSW Facebook page.

That plea set off an unlikely chain of events as the woman could do nothing more than consider sheltering in the roof cavity with her sons.

The overseas friend sought help via Sydney‘s Narellan Fire Station Facebook page, writing the message: “Please small child in house TRAPPED GET HELP OUT THERE NOW PLEASE.”

An off-duty Fire and Rescue NSW firefighter, returning home after a North Coast holiday with her own family, received the ‘Messenger’ alert on her phone as they were travelling.

Realising the gravity of the situation, the firefighter called triple-0, giving the trapped family’s details and guiding first responders to the address where the trio was rescued.

The family friend received news of the rescue and sent a follow-up message to the firefighter, “Daughter just made contact ... they got them out ... Thank you so much, guys/girls ... God bless you”.

FRNSW Acting Superintendent Mathew Sigmund said while there was a fortunate outcome to this emergency, it was crucial for the public to realise that the agency’s Facebook pages are not routinely monitored and calls in a life-threatening situation should be made through triple-0.