Terrifying footage has emerged of a Hawke’s Bay mum desperately battling through raging flood waters in a bid to save her five children from the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
On Tuesday, Omahu resident Dayna Nuku was forced to swiftly evacuate her family, including young children, after flood waters as high as her hips threatened not only their house but potentially their lives.
“We didn’t realise how serious it was until the water was literally full-on flowing right towards our front door. We didn’t get any evacuation notices,” she told the Herald.
“I grabbed our bags from my room, came out and the water was already inside, so we all grabbed what we could, put the babies on our shoulders and made a dash for it.”
With her home moments away from being ruined and their lives in danger, Nuku put her five young children into the family’s Isuzu Hiab truck along with her brother and sister-in-law, after deciding their best course of action was to attempt to drive through the flash floods and over the Ngaruroro River bridge to safety.
Capturing the daring dash to safety on camera, Nuku can be heard saying: “We’re trying to make it to the bridge right now... We’re trying but we hope we’re not going to tip over.
Terrifying footage has emerged of a Hawke’s Bay mum desperately battling through raging flood waters in a bid to save her five children from the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Dayna Nuku
With water close to bonnet height, the cab began to flood, forcing her children to lift their feet off the ground to try and stay dry.
Strong flood currents could be seen washing over the road, putting vehicles attempting to cross the bridge in danger of being washed away. Despite the current getting stronger, Nuku and her family were left with little choice but to power through.
“There’s a big as current coming right through the bridge we’re trying to get to right now,” Nuku was heard saying. As the kids began to panic, Nuku calmly tells them: “It’s alright, it’s alright. Put your feet up buddy.”
The truck, which was slowly pushing through closer to safety, then stopped as the fierce current wrestled with the vehicle.
“Hold on kids, hold on, we’re alright, we’re alright,” she repeats as she manages to overcome the powerful water and reach the bridge.
Nuku told the Herald she thought about staying, but despite the risk of being swept away in the truck, she had a feeling no one would come to rescue them if they sat and waited.
She explained she was extremely nervous for her kids but kept her composure, knowing it was the right thing to do.
Floodwaters began to fill their truck up with water as they made the daring dash to safety. Photo / Dayna Nuku
“We were waiting at home for so long, the water was rising fast. We went up and down the street to see if we could see anyone else and we didn’t. I had a feeling no one was coming for us and the only way out that we knew for sure that it was the safest and fastest way was over the bridge. It was the same way the rescue people went, over the bridge.
“I was only afraid for my kids. I know it may have looked risky but we knew it was the best decision for my kids.
“I am glad I made the choice that I did cause when I finally got in contact with my parents who stayed home, they said no one came. They all had lifejackets just in case but I knew we would make it.”
The Nukus made it through and are staying with family in Flaxmere.
One property was seen floating as the floodwaters ravaged Omahu. Photo / Dayna Nuku
Omahu felt the full brunt of Cyclone Gabrielle, with hundreds evacuating and homes completely flooded.
One video captured by Nuku shows a home floating down the street, while other properties were flooded with waist-deep water.
Local marae and grave sites have been damaged or submerged underwater.
Omahu is located on State Highway 50, northwest of Hastings on the north bank of the Ngaruroro River.
Nuku’s daring escape is just one of many around the Hawke’s Bay region and North Island.
Waist-deep water ruined multiple homes through the Hawke's Bay town of Omahu. Photo / Dayna Nuku
A Hawke’s Bay family, including a 7-year-old boy, are lucky to be alive after clinging to a log in swollen floodwaters for eight hours while they waited to be rescued.
Molly Leigh told the Herald her mother Sonya Kilmister, sister Ella Kilmister and brother Toby Edwards, who live on Dartmoor Rd, woke to severe flooding on Tuesday morning.
“My sister woke up to a scrambled message from our mum around 5.30am saying that the stopbank had been overwhelmed, so she called her and managed to get a 20-second phone call through.”
“Mum was hysterical, just screaming for help and saying that things were dire.”
Leigh, who lives in Palmerston North, didn’t hear from her family again until 8.45am this morning.
In the minute-long phone call with her mum, Leigh learned of the horrifying ordeal her family had to endure to survive.
“She said that they were rescued out of the water at 4pm [yesterday] and she said they were in the water for over eight hours and that they had managed to cling onto a tree branch,” said Leigh.
Leigh said her family were picked up by a rescue helicopter but only after hearing several helicopters fly overhead multiple times.
“[They were] hoping that it was coming for them but it kept not being for them,” Leigh said.
“I know that Search and Rescue were really under-resourced and that they’re probably doing the best they can but it’s frustrating to hear that my family were in the water for eight hours. I genuinely thought that they were all gone.”
