70 school campers evacuated
A GROUP of schoolchildren has been reunited with their families after spending nearly a week stranded by floodwaters at a campsite near Tully.
More than 70 students and staff were cut off by flooded roads at the Echo Creek adventure park on Monday.
Three children with gastro were airlifted to Cairns on Saturday but authorities decided it was safer to leave the remaining students where they were.
Authorities sent two helicopters from Cairns to airlift the group out on Sunday morning but floodwaters had receded enough for them to be taken using defence force troop carriers to Tully airport.
From there they were flown to Townsville using three light planes making several trips, with the operation expected to last a number of hours.
State Disaster Co-ordinator Bob Gee said he was very pleased with the work of both emergency crews and the teachers with the students for managing the situation.
“The teachers have done, in my view, an outstanding job keeping them in high spirits,” Deputy Commissioner Gee told reporters in Ingham.
“I grew up in flood country, I think those kids will remember this for the rest of their life.”
Authorities were eager to get the children and teachers evacuated on Sunday while there was a break in the weather, with more rain predicted in the coming week.