Sunshine Coast couple loses everything in houseboat sinking

A Sunshine Coast dad woke to the sounds of his houseboat creaking. Within moments his pet dogs and galah were trapped and everything he owned was under water.

Mark and Peta Daraz' houseboat and everything in it was lost on Tuesday.

A Sunshine Coast couple’s lives have been turned upside down after their houseboat suddenly sank, taking with it all their possessions and nearly claiming their beloved pets.

Mark Daraz, 50, woke to the sounds of his houseboat creaking at around 4.30am Tuesday.

Less than 30 minutes later, his home and everything he owned was gone.

Mr Daraz and his wife Peta, 49, were living in their houseboat on a Sunshine Coast marina with their three dogs and pet galah.

She was staying with the couple’s daughter, A-arna Daraz, on Monday night so he was the only person asleep on the top level of the boat on Tuesday morning.

After the loud creaking sounds woke him up, Mr Daraz stepped out of the bedroom to look out over the boat.

“I went downstairs to find a foot of water over the back deck and the boat leaning,” he said on Thursday.

Mr Daraz rushed back upstairs to get his pets off the boat but by the time he was halfway down the back stairs with the first dog in his arms, the boat had untethered from the mooring and “I was swimming”.

“I had to swim across to the pontoon to put my dog up there,” he said.

“I was probably in the water 15 minutes before someone could come.

“I didn’t have the strength to lift myself up onto the pontoon.”

Mark and Peta Daraz' sunken houseboat.

After 15-20 minutes, someone came to Mr Daraz’s aid and lifted him out of the water, but he was still in distress, as his other pets were stuck on the sinking boat.

“I tried to access them through the front veranda in the upper level, but the boat was on such a lean that I couldn’t get across to the other side,” he said.

“I just kept sliding back down and some of the people from the marina actually pulled me off the boat because it was becoming too dangerous.”

Eventually, the dogs were coaxed out of the boat and both of them swam to safety.

The galah’s cage had to be cut open with pliers, but he was also saved from the sinking boat.

When paramedics arrived shortly after, Mr Daraz was hypothermic and covered in scratches and bruises.

He was taken to hospital, where he started to recover with the support of Mrs Daraz and their children.

Their daughter A-arna started a Gofundme to raise some money to help the couple rebuild their lives.

“My dad didn’t even have shoes on his feet when we walked out of the hospital,” A-arna said.

“Nothing is going to be salvageable from the boat.”

“The fundraiser is just to help us get back on our feet and give us some normalcy,” Mr Daraz said.

“I don’t know what our future’s going to hold at the moment.

“But we’re not looking to buy another boat.”

Mark and Peta Daraz' houseboat sunk in under an hour, taking all their belongings with it.

A “very experienced boatie”, Mr Daraz was now having trouble even getting wet in the shower.

While he was physically recovering well, he said he plans to seek psychological support as he recovered from the ordeal.

The couple spent the days following staying with A-arna and their grandchildren, but they’re about to move into their new home on Bribie Island.

Having lived on the island for 25 years before moving onto the boat, the couple had a friend in real estate who was able to help them find a rental within 24 hours.

“We went and picked up the keys and we’re moving in today,” Mr Daraz said.

Their family has been their biggest support.

“Our kids and our grandkids are so great,” he said.

“They’ve helped us through this.”

Originally published as Sunshine Coast couple loses everything in houseboat sinking