‘Yeah mate, all good’: Social media embraces iconic Queenslander unfazed by racing floods around him

The rescue of this laid-back larrikin from raging floodwaters in Far North Queensland is going viral. SEE THE FOOTAGE

A laid-back larrikin leaning on a gate in rushing floodwaters and a mystery man named “Magoo” have warmed Far North Queenslanders’ hearts with their stoic efforts in the face of adversity.

Helenvale resident Gavin Dear is credited with helping rescue up to 18 stranded residents in his community along with two other men.

But his video of “Jonesy”, a shirtless, grey-haired man covered in tattoos has garnered thousands of interactions on social media.

In the clip, a helicopter whirrs at low levels over fast-moving flood waters at the Lions Den Hotel before panning to an unperturbed man perched against a fence post.

“Jonesy, are you all right?” a voice yells out from behind the camera.

“Yeah mate. All good,” the video’s protagonist responds before quickly raising the plight of others nearby.

More than two metres of water fell around Cooktown and Rossville in the past week.

A loveable larrikin, “Jonesy” wades through chest deep flood waters to chat to his mate. Picture: Gavin Dear/ Facebook

The post has already received hundreds of comments praising Jonesy as a quintessential Queenslander.

“There’s no possible way this could be any more Far North Queensland,” one viewer wrote.

Mr Dear said a nearby resident who used a mustering helicopter to whisk residents to safety, including more than a dozen evacuees from the famous Lions Den Hotel on Sunday deserved even greater plaudits.

“I must say that this fella is the real hero of the story. His name is Magoo,” Mr Dear told ABC Radio.

“He made 16 trips and landed on that roof in the pissing rain, where no other chopper pilot would fly.

“He rescued every one of those people. While we were rescuing these other dudes, he was just running people back and forward.”

Originally published as ‘Yeah mate, all good’: Social media embraces iconic Queenslander unfazed by racing floods around him