Looters ransack homes of evacuated bushfire disaster victims

Looters have targeted south coast residents forced out of their homes by the bush fire crisis.

Bec Winter on her fire-razed property, which has been targeted by looters. Picture: Cath Blyth

Looters have targeted south coast residents forced out of their homes by the bushfire crisis to steal prescription medications, expensive jewellery and digital devices.

In Batemans Bay, thieves raided 49-year-old Karl Watson’s property on Friday while he was helping an elderly neighbour prepare their home with water pumps before the weekend’s deadly bushfires. The thieves stole his prescription pain medications, a gold necklace, a digital camera and a mobile phone.

“The thing that hurt the most was the gold necklace that I lost because it belonged to a friend of mine who died 20 years ago and his parents gave that to me. It’s probably worth more than $5000 and it’s something I never wore because I never wanted to lose it,” he said on Monday.

Mr Watson, who lives full-time with a carer, takes pain medication twice a day for injuries he sustained in a car accident he survived when he was 16-years-old. He said that after the theft he was left without his medications for three days, leaving him unable to sleep. On Monday, he visited his doctor who was able to replace the medication.

“Since Friday I haven’t slept because I haven’t had my medications. I’m in too much pain.”

Mr Watson said his disability pension meant he had little money to repurchase food he was forced to throw away after the fires cut power in Batemans Bay.

Single mother Bec Winter, 42, and her 10-year-old son, Riley, fled their property at Rosedale, 18km south of Batemans Bay, on horseback on New Year’s Eve when conditions worsened. Their property was burnt out, but the house survived.

Bec Winter's property was burnt out, but the house survived. Picture: Cath Blyth

“The fire burnt all around the house and all the gardens are absolutely demolished,” she said.

After staying at the Waterfront Hotel in Moruya, they returned to find the property looted on Sunday. On Monday morning, she visited the property with a forensic police officer to take fingerprints to find thieves had robbed the property for a second time.

“Upon arriving, I saw the door was open and thought, ‘not again’. There were things scattered all over the place. They had even gone as far as emptying my clothes drawer all over the floor.”

“They have even taken a brand new shovel which I bought my son for Christmas because he wanted to earn money by picking up horse poo and bagging it to put on the side of the road.”

On Sunday, Ms Winter had first returned to their property to find the bike she had given her son for Christmas had been stolen.

“When I first came back to the house, I absolutely lost it. Riley rushed in because he had put his bike over near the fireplace because it’s the last place to burn. He came out crying and that’s when I lost it. It’s gut-wrenching.”

Ms Winter is planning to return to her property to ensure it is not targeted again.

“It’s an isolated house. There are no neighbours and you can’t see any other houses around. Once we get there with the dog and the horse, I’ll get some other friends to stay there and help me.”

On Monday, Ms Winter received an anonymous call from a man saying he had bought her son a new bicycle, which was waiting at a local bicycle shop.

“He said, ‘I have paid for a bike and your son just needs to go and pick one out’,” she said.

Eurobodalla Shire Council deputy mayor Rob Pollock described the robberies as ‘incomprehensible’. “People are going through the greatest trauma of their life and they are subjected to the lowest moral act,” he said.