Police divers brave croc risk in Fitzroy River to recover stolen Ford F350

Shaken families have shared their holiday horror after teen thieves snuck into their caravans and took off with two luxury cars – including a $350k super ute which was dumped, sparking a scary search in crocodile waters. VIDEO, PHOTOS.

Two boys aged under 12 struggle to sleep at night after brazen teen thieves snuck past them, entered the caravan their parents were sleeping in and took keys needed to steal the family’s $350,000 super ute.

Their mother Linda Gander shared her family’s terror after their Yeppoon campsite was targeted and their Ford F350 taken and later dumped in the crocodile infested Fitzroy river where a dicey retrieval took place on Tuesday and into the night.

The family sleeping in the neighbouring campsite was also rocked by the theft of their brand-new Nissan Patrol and say the young criminals responsible taunted them, yelling “we just stole your cars you mother f*****s”.

CQ Crane Hire lifting the stolen $350,000 Ford F350 ute over the jetty at the Quay Street boat ramp after it was winched out of the crocodile infested Fitzroy River in an eight-hour salvage operation on July 4, 2023. The ute belonged to Stewart Gander from Benalla, Victoria. It had been stolen from a Yeppoon caravan park just after midnight on July 2, 2023.

Mrs Gander and her family were sleeping metres away from their caravan’s door on Saturday night when the brazen offenders snuck inside and stole the keys to her husband Stewart’s work car, which she said was worth about $350,000.

Mr Gander is the managing director of Timberline Constructions in Benalla, Victoria.

The couple’s sons had been sleeping just outside the caravan in swags with the caravan door left unlocked so they could use the toilet during the night.

Stewart and Linda Gander with their sons Angus and Owen from Benalla in Victoria were staying at a Yeppoon caravan park during the school holidays when their $350,000 Ford F350 was stolen by juvenile offenders who dumped it in the crocodile-infested Fitzroy River.

Next door, Damien Schelberg, his wife and son had travelled over three hours to spend the weekend at the Beachside Holiday Caravan Park at Yeppoon.

They had driven two vehicles to the holiday site – one towing a caravan and the other, their boat.

Mr Schelberg, who works in mining, said his son was also sleeping outside their caravan in a swag with their caravan left unlocked so he too could use the toilet during the night.

He said his wife got up in the night and five minutes later, after returning to bed, she heard their Nissan start up.

She put her glasses on and looked out the window, seeing their car was gone and heard the young thieves screaming out, bragging and swearing.

Mr Schelberg said he and his son woke up in time to see the Ford F350 drive past.

“Initially we thought ‘(the Ganders have) gone after them,” he said.

After realising the lights were not on in the Ford, he called police as his wife went to wake up the Ganders to let them know their car had been stolen.

He said the caravan park staff had been wonderful to them and they had heard all of the caravan parks in the region were having the same problem with offenders and were talking to each other.

He also understood some of the juveniles later charged over the thefts had been released after allegedly committing other offences and believed that if Queensland had better rehabilitation programs, stronger laws/penalties for judges and magistrates to hand down, these offences over the weekend would not have happened.

“I think the issue currently is that there’s not enough education support for children and families, so the children disengage from school, then they leave school and going out and committing these offences,” he said, adding those that ended up in juvenile detention often had no support following their release to find alternative activities that gave them the same thrill they were getting from stealing cars.

Social media posts led police to the river where the Ford had been dumped off the Quay Street boat ramp.

Mr Gander was concerned about the notoriety teens were achieving filming their offending and posting it online.

The ute had floated metres down the river, to the other side of the jetty, by the time the salvage operation started.

The stolen $350,000 Ford F350 dumped in crocodile-infested waters of the Fitzroy River from the Quay Street, Rockhampton, boat ramp, was located by divers metres down stream. Pictured are the water police with a diver at the location the ute was found before the salvage operation on July 4.

It was on its roof when divers first reached it Tuesday afternoon.

The Ford was righted and winched out before a crane was used to lift it over the jetty and put it on the back of a tow truck.

CQ Crane Hire lifting the stolen $350,000 Ford F350 ute over the jetty at the Quay Street boat ramp after it was winched out of the crocodile infested Fitzroy River in an eight-hour salvage operation on July 4, 2023. The ute belonged to Stewart Gander from Benalla, Victoria. It had been stolen from a Yeppoon caravan park just after midnight on July 2, 2023.

It’s understood the thieves rammed the stolen vehicles through the gate of the caravan park and were seen driving at 150km/hour at Emu Park.

They had first attempted to lift the boom gate up, but were too short so they smashed through it.

Mrs Gander said her sons had been unable to sleep since and her husband also lost his tools, wallet, credit cards, and fridges.

“It’s just not fair,” she said.

Stewart Gander had his work ute – a Ford F350 worth $350,000 – stolen as he and his wife slept in their caravan and their sons slept outside in swags, at a Yeppoon caravan park during the winter school holidays. He had driven the ute and caravan 21 hours from their home in Benalla, Victoria, for the holiday.

The mammoth rescue operation to retrieve the stolen Ford from the bottom of the Fitzroy River took place near where crocodile sightings have cancelled watersports events and rangers continue to search for a rogue reptile.

Queensland Police divers, water and general officers carried out a co-ordinated attempt with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service officers and local tow truck operators.

The search started at 2pm with delays as water police struggled to find the ute, using magnets attached to string to find metal parts of the rig.

The wet weather made the boat ramp surface slippery for the tow truck’s tyres also created a challenge.

The Ford’s front passenger side tyre was above water by the time sticky mud and failing light became too much of a problem.

Stewart Gander had his work ute – a Ford F350 worth $350,000 – stolen as he and his wife slept in their caravan and their sons slept outside in swags, at a Yeppoon caravan park during the winter school holidays. He had driven the ute and caravan 21 hours from their home in Benalla, Victoria, for the holiday.

The haulage effort continued with the tow truck moving to the other side of the jetty, but the tension cable broke twice and the rescue team called it quits for the day about 6pm, but changed their minds and continued into the night.

A Central Queensland family had their brand new Nissan Patrol stolen while they were camped at a Yeppoon caravan park during the winter school holidays.

The ute was on the back of a tow truck by 11pm Tuesday night.

During the mission, the Ganders were able to get close to the vehicle partially above water.

Mr Gander said considering the family had been told the vehicle had rammed other cars, possibly police vehicles, it didn’t look too bad and the bull bar was still straight.

A Central Queensland family had their brand new Nissan Patrol stolen while they were camped at a Yeppoon caravan park during the winter school holidays.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said three boys had been charged.

A 17-year-old Kawana boy has been charged with six counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count each of enter premises, enter dwelling and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

A 15-year-old Depot Hill boy has been charged with three counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, enter premises, enter dwelling, possession of dangerous drug and utensil.

Both boys will appear before the Rockhampton Childrens Court at a later date.

A 16-year-old Rockhampton boy will be dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act for similar matters.

Originally published as Police divers brave croc risk in Fitzroy River to recover stolen Ford F350