Dangerous road kept open before mum, two kids drowned in river
The husband of a heroic mother who sacrificed her life in a tragic bid to save their children from floodwaters on the NSW north coast has broken down in tears at an inquest into their deaths on Monday. The inquest heard the road they were driving on remained open despite significant risks.
The husband of a heroic mother who sacrificed her life in a tragic bid to save their children from floodwaters on the NSW north coast has broken down in tears at an inquest into their deaths on Monday.
Stephanie King, 43, and two of her three children, Ella-Jane, 11, and Jacob, 7, died when their van skidded off a muddy road and plunged into the flood-swollen Tweed River at Tumbulgum on April 3, 2017.
Ms King’s shattered husband Matt Kabealo cried as the inquest at Byron Bay Court heard the nurse desperately tried to save their children days after ex-Cyclone Debbie caused record flooding in the area.
The inquest heard the road they were driving on remained open despite significant risks.
Counsel assisting the coroner Dr Peggy Dwyer told the court Ms King helped the couple’s only surviving child Chloe-May out of the submerged car’s shattered window to safety, had unbuckled Ella-Jane’s seatbelt and tried to do the same for Jacob before she drowned.
“It is abundantly clear on the evidence that Stephanie had no thought for her own life and only tried to save her children,” Dr Dwyer said in her opening address.
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Chloe-May, then aged nine, swam to shore and raised the alarm but frantic rescuers were unable to save her three family members, the court heard.
“In an act that is extraordinary for a child of her age, Chloe-May managed to run to a house nearby to get help for her family,” Dr Dwyer said.
Four people jumped into the fast flowing river at the site of the car’s skid marks and dived down into the murky brown water searching in vain for the trio, the court heard.
“Those people kept trying until members of the ambulance and police arrived,” Dr Dwyer said.
The court heard Ms King had been driving slowly to their Bilambil Heights home that day after helping clean up the flood-damaged Dungay Public School.
Mr Kabealo told police: “Stephanie was a cautious driver who would never put her children at risk”.
The inquest seeks to examine whether appropriate measures were taken by Tweed Shire Council to warn the public of the dangers of driving on the road.
“There was absolutely no doubt that Dulguigan Rd was open to the public,” Dr Dwyer said.
“There was undeniably a significant risk from the built up silt.”
Mr Kabealo wrote in a police statement that his wife never would have driven down that road had there been any indication it was closed, the court heard.
“Safety is paramount, she enjoyed driving and it would not have bothered her one bit to backtrack down Cane Rd and come home,” Mr Kabealo said.
Tweed Shire Council Roads and Storm Water manager Danny Rose is expected to tell the probe this week that 220 metres of guard rail have since been installed on the river side of Dulguigan Rd, including at the crash site.
Senior Constable Gerry Kemp said when he arrived at the crash site the following day the road was still extremely slippery, adding: “I almost fell over myself when I first got there.”
The three-day inquest continues before Acting State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, who will hand down her findings on Friday.
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