Ten dead including nine-year-old girl as wild east coast storms smash large parts of Queensland
A couple have died camping at Buchan, in regional Victoria, when a rush of water described as an ‘inland tsunami’ devastated the reserve.
The partner of a woman washed away in flash flooding while camping at a popular campground in Victoria’s East Gippsland has been located, bringing the death toll of the the lethal Christmas and Boxing Day east coast storms to 10.
The couple had been camping at Buchan, in regional Victoria, when a rush of water described as an “inland tsunami” devastated the reserve after 70mm of rain fell in half-an-hour. Victorian police confirmed the body was found on Wednesday afternoon, but neither have been formally identified.
Earlier, the bodies of two former Queensland rugby players, a a nine-year-old girl, and two women in their 40s were located in three separate search operations within 24hrs of each other.
There are now nine dead from the storms in Queensland and Victoria.
David ‘Mario’ Logan, a teacher at Brisbane’s prestigious Nudgee College, and Stephen Tait, who taught at Iona College, both played for Queensland and were aboard a yacht that capsized off Green Island, near Manly on Brisbane’s bayside on Tuesday.
The pair were on board a 39-foot pleasure-craft yacht with nine other men who had hired the vessel for their annual Boxing Day fishing trip.
A “horrific” storm smashed the area in the afternoon, bringing wind gusts of up to 106km/hr through the area ahead of the capsizing.
Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Andrew Pilotto described the sea conditions as “insane”.
“I’m told the water conditions were horrific. The storm was raging when they were rescued,” he said.
“I can’t tell you how long it (took for them to be rescued but it) would have been less than 45 minutes. It would have been very difficult to survive in those conditions.”
Mr Logan’s body was found in the water yesterday, along with an unidentified 48-year-old man. Mr Tait’s body was located on board the yacht this morning.
Eight people were rescued and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. While responding to the incident, a water police officer sustained contamination from diesel fuel in the water and was transported to hospital.
Mia Holland-McCormack, 9, has been remembered by her family as a mischievous soul after she died in floodwaters on Boxing Day.
The severely autistic girl reportedly jumped the back fence of the family home and was last seen along Palara Street, in Rochedale South near Logan, about 6.15pm.
Family members of the girl frantically posted on social media to try and find the girl.
“Mia likes parks and water, if you live next to any parks can you please check, and your yards,” one person wrote in a community page.
She was found in floodwaters around 11pm after being swept away in a storm water drain.
In a separate incident, three women were exploring a stormwater drain affectionately known as “The Love Tunnel” in Gympie on Tuesday afternoon when a surge of water from a recent storm swept them into the currents of the Mary River. One woman managed to reach the safety of the riverbank, but the body of a 40-year-old was discovered near the entrance of the drain last night. The body of her 46-year-old found in Gympie Weir around midday on Wednesday.
Queensland Police superintendent Paul Algie said the searches within the stormwater drain itself would continue.
“I was aware of the tunnels, but I wasn’t aware it was a common place for adventurers,” he said.
“What I would say to everyone is that stormwater drains are not for people to go exploring in... and what has occurred today is a tragic result of adventuring.”
Boxing Day deaths follow Gold Coast woman Robyn Carman, 59, dying on Christmas Day after being crushed by a tree, as was a man camping in Caringal, in Victoria’s east.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese applauded the work of emergency service personnel while remembering the victims.
“Such sad news overnight of at least four Australians losing their lives in severe weather, including a nine year old girl in Brisbane,” Mr Albanese posted on social media.
“My heart goes out to the families of those Australians who have lost their lives – and to the communities taking care of them.
“While many Australians are enjoying their well-earned holidays, our essential services and emergency personnel are working gruelling shifts to keep the lights on and to keep us safe.
“I want to thank you all. Your jobs are tough, especially on days like today.
“As communities across Australia experience fires, floods and storms, we can help by remaining vigilant. We can help by following emergency updates online or on radio, and looking out for neighbours and friends.”
Queensland Premier Steven Miles said he was “heartbroken” over the deaths.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of the people who died overnight from the destructive storms in South East Queensland.
“Every Queenslander will have those families in our thoughts and prayers.”
Former Wallabies captain Andrew Slack has paid tribute to his former teammates who were on the capsized boat off Green Island. The former state and national rugby union player who captained the Wallabies in 19 test matches between 1984 and 1987.
“Steve Tait played rugby for Queensland in the late 80s, he was a halfback in the Premiership winning team in 1986,” Mr Slack told the Australian.
“Dave Logan played for Brothers in Brisbane and also played for Queensland in the mid 70s.”
“They’re both well known and respected in the rugby circle, great guys,” he said.
“Steven played for the Souths Rugby Union Club, they haven’t won a game in more than 25 years and Steven was a part of that.”
“The club had a lot of success in the early 90s and ‘Taity’ made a big difference.”
In a statement on social media, Iona College asked students and staff members to pray for “staff member and Ionian Steve Tait who is currently missing as a result of boating mishap on Moreton Bay yesterday afternoon in the severe storm that hit”.
“All Ionians are asked to pray for Steve, his family and everyone affected,” the statement read.
Almost 88,000 homes were without power on Wednesday morning after another evening of wild storms smashed the Queensland southeast. Half a dozen storms tore through the region, bringing golf-ball sized hail and rainfall of more than 80mm through much of Brisbane’s south. Wind gusts also tore up trees and pulled roofs from houses.
Rain interrupted the first day of cricket’s Boxing Day Test for about two hours at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, frustrating a 60,000-strong crowd, and the start of the 78th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was threatened by a violent thunderstorm over Sydney. Tuesday’s tempests followed a massive storm, labelled a “mini cyclone”, that ripped through the Gold Coast on Monday night and downed trees, damaged homes, closed theme parks and left a crane bent and damaged.
Bakery worker Robyn Carman, 59, was crushed to death by a falling tree near her home in the northern Gold Coast suburb of Helensvale. A Victorian man was killed by a tree while camping at a property in Caringal, near Baw Baw, 178km east of Melbourne.
Queensland Deputy Premier Cameron Dick said there had been significant damage to the state’s energy grid, with more than 123,000 homes, from Gympie to the Gold Coast border, without power. It may take days, if not longer, for Energex crews to repair the 875 fallen power lines, 700 alone on the Gold Coast.
Premier Steven Miles said the Christmas storm was “unprecedented”. He backed the BoM amid fierce criticism over its weather predictions, particularly after it failed to adequately predict the intense flooding in Cairns following Tropical Cyclone Jasper, stating it was up to the BoM to decide whether an independent review was necessary.
“These kinds of storms come when we get that really hot weather and the atmosphere (which) can carry a lot more humidity,” Mr Miles said.
“While we’re used to getting storms, obviously, this particular storm event was pretty ferocious.
“I’m sure the Bureau can comment for themselves. What I know is that when they meet with us at the Queensland Disaster Committee meetings, they always demonstrate true professionalism.”
BoM community information officer Daniel Hayes explained an El Nino gives its “strongest signal” in spring before showing seasonality through the warmer summer months, with rain activity “fairly common”.
“The typical drying influence of El Nino on Australia’s climate usually reduces during summer, especially in the east,” he said.
“We did see during the first two months of spring … very dry conditions across most of the country. November we did see some of this seasonal shower and storm activity start to pick up. That’s continued now into this period.”
As the storms begin to clear on Wednesday, southeast Queensland has been warned to prepare for a three-day heatwave, with temperatures to hit 36C.
More Coverage
Found: rock legend’s ‘lost’ songs
People are strange, The Doors told us, but no stranger than the tale of Jim Morrison’s ‘lost’ songs. They turned up than in a cluttered timber home on a remote hill in the Tasmanian bush.
‘Holy grail’ fish discovery comes with one big catch
The discovery of a rare, untapped, abundant and delicious food source off Australia’s southern coast is quickly shaping as an unsavoury battle.