NSW floods: Forbes family winched to safety as police find missing woman’s body

A woman’s body, believed to be that of 60-year-old Dianne Smith, has been found by police in Eugowra, while a Forbes family’s nail-biting flood rescue has been caught on camera. See the video.

The body of a woman has been found as massive clean-up efforts are underway across the state’s Central West following this week’s devastating deluge.

The body, believed to be that of missing Eugowra local Dianne Smith, 60, was discovered by police on Tuesday as emergency services worked to help the community get back on their feet.

Police confirmed that the body had been discovered but had not yet been formally identified.

Ms Smith last spoke to a family member on the phone in her car on Monday morning but had not responded to calls since.

Emergency services are still out searching for another missing Eugowra local, Ljubisa ‘Les’ Vugec, aged 85.

Dianne Smith, aged 60 is missing.

As is Ljubisa ‘Les’ Vugec, 85.

Dramatic footage shows a chopper crew plucking a family and their two dogs to safety from a table outside their flooded Forbes home.

The footage shows raging floodwaters sweeping past the house, on the outskirts of Forbes, trapping the elderly couple, their daughter and the dogs on Tuesday evening.

Picture gallery: Eugowra and Forbes floods aftermath

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The Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter, which is specially configured for night time emergency response, flew to the house after being alerted by NSW SES with roads closed and rescue boats unable to reach them.

A LifeFlight paramedic is shown being winched down to the property to get the family ready to escape.

“The crew consulted and it was decided the safest way to retrieve the residents, was from the large outdoor table which was the only stable, suitable surface, above the water and was a safe distance from any structures,” LifeFlight said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two women were winched up in the rescue basket first, followed by the 83-year-old man before the paramedic returned to carry the two small dogs which were safe in a specialised flight bag.

The family were winched to safety

along with their two pooches.

The family was airlifted to the Parkes evacuation centre.

The Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter crew members have now rescued 22 people and 16 pets from the flood ravaged Central West as the region braces itself for more flooding to come.

The helicopter is usually based in Queensland, but is currently operating out of Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina region, after LifeFlight was tasked by NSW SES, to support their response to the current flood situation.

The AW139 helicopter is configured for emergency response duties and is capable of day and night operations, including Search and Rescue, aeromedical response and movement of personnel and freight. 

Flash flooding smashed the small community of Eugowra. Picture: Chris Watson/ Farmpix Photography

It comes as people fled their homes from raging floodwaters and helicopters hovered over rural communities conducting rooftop rescues overnight.

In the last 24 hours, NSW SES responded to 329 calls for help and 17 rescues – most of those in Forbes where the river – currently 10.67m – is threatening to exceed the 10.8m flood record from 1952.

In town, 14 people and three dogs were rescued from The Plainsmans Motel as it went underwater about 8pm. They were taken to the evacuation centre nearby.

Two hours later, a helicopter was tasked to winch a family of three – including two elderly people aged 84 and 78 year old and their daughter – along with their two small canines from their Forbes home.

Just before 5am on Wednesday, two more people were plucked from a roof of a submerged vehicle in flood waters at Condobolin.

NSW SES currently has a total of 119 warnings posted across the state including 25 emergency warnings.

Family members of 85-year-old Eugowra man Ljubisa ‘Les’ Vugec are still desperately searching for their loved one who was reported missing on Tuesday.

Mr Vugec was last spotted at his Eugowra home on Evelyn Street also on Monday morning, but has been unable to be located or contacted.

Emergency services have been working round the clock in Forbes. Picture: Joshua Gavin

Residents of Forbes are being told to find shelter and brace for the record peak. Picture: Joshua Gavin

Police launched an investigation into his whereabouts, as well as those of Ms Smith – whose body is believed to have been discovered – and are calling for any information regarding Mr Vugec’s location.

Mr Vugec is described as being of caucasian appearance, between 180-185cm tall, of medium build, with grey hair and brown eyes.

This comes as the catastrophic disaster sends the township of Forbes into chaos, with residents remaining on knife edge as the rising river creeps towards a record peak of 10.79m and Water NSW makes further dam cuts.

Riverina MP Michael McCormack urged residents in Forbes on Tuesday afternoon to return to their homes or “organise alternate accommodation,” as the Council closes Oxford Street, which connects the CBD and South Forbes.

The dam was spilling at a record rate before being reduced. Picture: Over and Above Photography

Wyangala Dam reached a peak release rate of 230 gigalitres per day on Monday after exceeding capacity on Sunday night. That was reduced 80 GL/day at 6am on Tuesday.

Residents in the Central West township of Maude were told on Tuesday afternoon to find shelter as the Murrumbidgee River at Hay exceeded the September 1974 flood level of 9.02m.

The swollen river is expected to peak around 9.20 metres during Wednesday with major flooding.

West of Maude, moderate flooding is occurring at Balranald with major flooding possible in early December.

Evacuations are also being urged in northern areas of Gunnedah in the North West Slopes region while a ‘watch and act’ warning has been issued for the entire town.