Queensland father and daughter survived treacherous floodwaters by clinging to tree for two nights with only rope and a promise

A nine-year-old girl who clung to a tree for 36 hours with her father as floodwaters raged around them has shared her incredible tale of survival, revealing his words and actions that kept alive their hopes making it to safety.

A brave Queensland father and daughter are alive to share their tale of survival after clinging to a tree for 36 hours surrounded by rising floodwaters.

Nanango man, Craig Mortensen promised his nine-year-old daughter Kira they would survive the ordeal when they were swept away in deep floodwater on Friday night which battered the Gympie region.

Thanks to quick thinking, a rope, and a nearby tree branch, the pair survived two nights in the treacherous conditions while batting away snakes and insects.

Mr Mortensen said his daughter kept him alive and he did exactly what any parent would do to protect her.

Craig and his young daughter Kira managed to survive two harrowing nights clinging to a tree, surrounded by deep flood water at Gympie. Picture supplied.

The brave father and daughter spoke to media on Wednesday morning to explain just how they did it.

“When your children are involved, that’s what we are here for, once you’ve got them they’re everything, they’re the world,” Mr Mortensen told 7 News.

“We’re not doing too bad, still a little bit drained so to speak,” he said.

In the pitch black, the duo climbed onto the roof of their sedan and opened the doors to prevent the vehicle from floating away, they then called triple-zero repeatedly before hatching a survival plan.

Craig and his young daughter Kira managed to survive two harrowing nights clinging to a tree, surrounded by deep flood water at Gympie. Picture supplied.

He said his younger years in Cub Scouts, as well as working on boats for many years assisting him in tying the knots necessary to keep the pair from being swept away over two nights.

“I cut up a small piece of rope and tied it up around Kira’s arms and put a loop in the other end around my wrist so she was never more than six feet from me,” he said.

“It was a decent size tree with a big fork in it, I just put my arm around the tree … and I’m glad we had the rope because she broke out of my grip.”

Young Kira has described her father as “amazing” and said she feels “a lot safer and happier” now, just days after the ordeal.

Craig and Kira. Picture supplied.

“He mostly just said that we were going to be okay and that we wouldn’t die,” Ms Mortensen said.

“I kept thinking that I was going to fall, but I was tied to the tree so I knew it wasn’t going to happen,” she said.

Mr Mortensen, fighting back tears, assured his daughter she was much braver than him.

“You’re a lot braver than me baby, you’re a tiny little girl,” he said.

He said after two nights clinging to the tree, they needed to change their plan as Kira had nothing to eat for almost two days and he couldn’t make her stay another night.

Originally published as Queensland father and daughter survived treacherous floodwaters by clinging to tree for two nights with only rope and a promise