Queensland family horrified as caravan stolen while children sleeping inside

“There was a loud noise and banging and bashing. I ran out … and saw this car towing a caravan and people running after it.”

A family-of-five has had the shock of their lives after a thief hijacked their caravan while they were still inside. 

A couple with their thre kids were inside their caravan on Monday evening, which was attached to their car and parked inside a caravan park in Queensland, roughly 380 km west of Townsville. 

At roughly 9.30pm, the family heard the car engine start and felt the caravan begin to move, all while the couple’s three kids were sleeping inside. 

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The family's belongings were left behind after the thief stole their car and caravan. Picture: Townsville Bulletin

Caravan stolen while kids sleeping inside

It’s understood the daily had reported that their keys were stolen earlier that afternoon, prompting the couple to reattach the caravan to their car as a precaution. 

Later that evening, the thief returned, this time ready to take the caravan and car. 

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The parents and their three children, aged between six and 12 years old, who are completing a “big lap” of the country, were all inside the caravan as it started to drag out of the caravan park.

As the caravan and car pulled out of the park, it tore the awnings off the side of the vehicle and knocked down a power pole in the process. 

The thief in the car eventually stopped on the main road, a short distance from the caravan park, which gave the family enough time to make a quick escape. 

Witnesses Donna and Peter described hearing screams and shouting coming from the caravan while it was driving away, per the Townsville Bulletin. 

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“I was down in the camp kitchen … and the next thing I hear is this commotion of people yelling,” Donna said. “There was a loud noise and banging and bashing. I ran out … and saw this car towing a caravan and people running after it.”

The caravan still had its stabilisers and wheel jockey down, she added, which left behind a trail of damage as the caravan was dragged through the property. 

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The power pole and caravan awning were torn off during the robbery. Picture: Townsville Bulletin

The family sustained minor injuries during the brazen robbery, with the father suffering a cut on his head and “one of the little girls had a nasty bump to the back of the head”.

“The other little girl had a graze just below her knee, and I just sort of cleaned that up,” Donna told reporters. 

The eldest child, a 12-year-old boy, was unharmed but shaken by the incident. 

“He was very teary, and then he’d laugh, and then he was teary, and he was shaking,” Donna told the Townsville Bulletin. “Physically, he wasn’t hurt, but mentally, he was very traumatised.”

All five family members were sent to the hospital as a precaution. 

The caravan and car have since been located, with police launching an investigation into the robbery. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact the police. 

Originally published as Queensland family horrified as caravan stolen while children sleeping inside