St Johns Area Manager discusses helicopter rescue at Tolaga Bay where a family was stranded on the roof of their home. Source - Shane Clapperton <ShaneC@stjohn.org.nz>
A family huddled on the roof of their Tolaga Bay home this morning clinging for safety as water rose around them.
A woman, her partner and their 4-year-old granddaughter had no choice but to climb onto their roof while they waited for a rescue helicopter to arrive as water smashed against their home.
The woman told NZME they woke at 3.30am to the sound of water lapping around it due to torrential rain flooding the area north of Gisborne.
"I made a coffee and we were just about to sit down and then all we heard was like a jet taking off and this rumbling ... then the water level rose within 10 minutes and rushed up to armpit level," the grandmother said.
Logs crashed through the windows and doors of the house.
The woman said they woke at 3.30am to the sound of water flapping at it pushed into the house due to torrential rain flooding the area north of Gisborne. Photo / Supplied
The woman's partner broke a hole in the clear lite over their deck and the woman climbed through the hole onto the roof before hauling her granddaughter up too.
They huddled on the roof until 7am when they could see the extent of the devastation. The house was in the middle of the water and "it was like we were on a deserted island", she said.
Cars and tractors could be seen floating down the river and houses occupied by family members on the same farm were also destroyed.
"All the wood, the logs and slash just crashed through the side of the house. It was just everywhere, everywhere ... Dog kennels, boat, the woolshed was all gone. Power pole lines were washed away."
The couple tried to keep calm for the young girl who said to her grandmother during the four-hour wait to be rescued: "We are going to be having another cool adventure."
The grandmother said it was dark and they had been cold and wet as they sheltered under broken clear lite on the roof. And while their house had been damaged, they were just grateful to have each other.
The family huddled on the roof this morning clinging for safety as the water rose around them. Photo / Supplied
St John paramedic Shane Clapperton said it was still dark when they received the call for help. Rescuers had to wait until daylight, and for the weather to subside, before embarking on the rescue mission.
The only way to collect the family was to airlift them from their rooftop via helicopter.
Clapperton said the family did everything correctly and the water ended up rushing through the house and was one metre away from reaching them.
He was able get from the helicopter onto the family's home, then assist them off the roof.
Logs and debris around a flooded house in the Tolaga Bay area. Photo / Supplied
"It looks like there's been a logjam and that's built up the water and the water has flooded through that valley sending thousands of logs down the valley and into this family's home, as well as the water that ended up rushing through the house."
He said there was a lot of water around and that particular valley had taken the brunt of it. One of the family member's vehicles was found about 1km down the river.
Eastland Community Trust Rescue Helicopter duty pilot Hamish Ramsay said there was no other way the family could have escaped the roof, apart from by helicopter.
"It had pretty much peaked by the time we got there."
From the helicopter he could see debris everywhere.
"There were vehicles and tractors and what not spewing all down the river."
Ramsay did not get a chance to speak with the family, other than noting they were pretty wet and cold – especially the child.
Tolaga Bay river levels have dropped dramatically this afternoon.
However Tairawhiti Civil Defence Emergency Management and Gisborne District Council is warning more rain is on the way, with weather warnings in place from 9pm tonight until 1pm tomorrow.
The Hikuwai River at Willow Flat, north of Tolaga Bay, rose from an average two-metre height to 12.6m at 7am. It was to 6.5m at 2pm today.
The areas hit hardest by the rain were the north and west of Tolaga Bay and on the coast and inland of Whangara.
