United to win a safe ending
RESCUE efforts to return more than 70 students and staff members from a camp isolated by floodwaters in North Queensland has been described as a “major logistic operation”.
State disaster co- ordinator deputy commissioner Bob Gee said the co- ordination to successfully rescue children and staff from an adventure camp near Tully involved emergency services, a State Government department and commercial transport operators.
“The airlift was a major logistic operation and saw a co- ordinated effort involving police, Department of Education, other emergency services and private transport operators coming together to undertake the smooth running of such a large task,” he said.
Yesterday provided a gap in unstable weather conditions and the decision was made to return the students and staff to Townsville, Mr Gee said.
Department of Education deputy director general Jeff Hunt said the rescue was a significant operation.
“We were working with police and emergency services to make sure that we had a range of plans in place to re- spond at the appropriate time,” Mr Hunt said.
“We worked with district disaster management to ensure that we took the right steps at the right time to return them home safely.”
The major rescue operation involved vehicles, helicopters, aircraft and taxis.
Children were transported through banana plantations out of the Echo Creek Adven- ture Centre to Tully Airport in army troop carriers.
Three small planes made two trips each from Tully to Townsville and one group of staff and students was sent in a helicopter.
“The children will remember this school camp for a very long time,” Mr Hunt said.
Mr Gee praised the teachers and those who helped.
Mr Gee said the kids were in a safe place while they were trapped by the flood.
“First and foremost in our minds was making sure they weren’t moved to a place that was more dangerous,” he said.
“Through the help of local farmers we found a back way through farms ( to get the kids out) using troop carriers.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was in North Queensland yesterday touring areas hit by flooding and met the children at Tully Airport.
“I grew up in flood country and I think these kids will remember it for the rest of their lives,” she said.