A team of five friends rescued 60 people impacted by floods on Sunday night

A group of friends in Far North Queensland have been hailed heroes after co-ordinating an epic rescue, supporting SES and saving 60 people from the roofs of their homes — and more since. WATCH THE VIDEO.

Amid driving rain and dangerous flooding, five friends co-ordinated an epic rescue effort with the State Emergency Services, saving an estimated 60 people from the roofs of their homes in submerged streets.

Brothers Jarrod and Ricky Mellor launched their boat from storm drains in Barron River at 6pm Sunday night and made six trips to and back from Holloways Beach until the wee hours of Monday morning.

“We were fortunate to have a bigger boat, and could take ten at a time,” Ricky Mellor said.

“It got too windy late at night so we pulled the pin around 1am and then started at 9am this morning.”

They tried launching their boat from the Smithfied side and the Yorkey’s side but both didn’t work because of too many fences, Ricky said.

Next, they attempted launching from the Barron River bridge which is when they realised how much water was flooding the area.

“It was so strong, the current,” Ricky said.

“We were lucky to have a big enough motor to get straight across that bridge.”

Families were calling them saying they were down the road, and the brothers would park the boat, and head into houses grabbing people and animals and “chuck them” in the boat.

“Everything that is in that area is under water,” he said.

“We put the boat on the top of people’s roofs - rested it up against the gutters of the roof - to park and get people in the boat.

“There was no drop - they sat down on their butt and then they stepped into our boat. So the rooftops were the only bit of area left.”

Through a Facebook group, Madelaine Stover - Jarred Mellor’s partner - collated all details coming in about trapped residents.

Jarrod Mellor, Ricky Mellor, Melanie Fogarty, and Jacqe Matelot (L to R) with Madelaine Stover (not pictured) co-ordinated an epic community rescue effort saving 60 people from flooded homes in Holloways Beach. Picture: Supplied

Rescue efforts underway at Holloways Beach by community crew and SES> Picture: Supplied

Ms Stover’s friends Jacqe Matelot and Melanie Fogarty joined the action by noting down key details like those with medical conditions, number of animals, and addresses and passing that information on to the Mellors.

In her 38 years in Cairns, Ms Fogarty said she had never witnessed anything like this.

Mr Matelot said one house had 28 people on the roof at one time.

“When boats were pulling back in, we were ferrying anyone who needed to get back into the suburbs - ferrying them and animals back to their friend’s homes,” he said.

“They (the Mellors) were taking their boats straight over Machans over the top of the mangroves, then they saw the roundabout, turned their boat right and went straight into Holloways - it was almost like travel in an aerial path.”

Barron River Bridge at 6pm Sunday night. Picture: Supplied

Barron River bridge at 1am with SES vehicles. Picture: Supplied

Recalling the emotions of those getting off the boats, Ms Fogarty said it was “heartbreaking”.

“They were getting off in shock, saying I lost everything, that’s all they could say,” she said.

“They didn’t know if their spouse and kids were OK and then we were realising in that moment that they were OK... the emotion was just (overwhelming)... and to all happen a week before Christmas.”

The group fondly recalled a coffee run for 12 to McDonald’s they did in the rain, through flood waters at midnight, for a rescued batch on the boat.

“The Cairns community is really strong and has pulled together similar to the Lismore community - how they responded to their flood crisis,” Mr Matelot said.

“There will be lots of assistance and aid offered from civilians in terms of housing people, offering food, clothing drives.”

Originally published as A team of five friends rescued 60 people impacted by floods on Sunday night