Severe flooding incident at West Sussex holiday park
A mum has spoken of her terror after water ‘filled up’ her family cabin at a holiday park, with her three young children inside.
West Sussex County Council confirmed on Tuesday that ‘three severe flooding incidents’ happened across the county, in Earnley, Bracklesham and Littlehampton.
Shortly after 1am, crews responded to a flooding incident at Medmerry Holiday Park in Earnley. In total around 180 people were evacuated.
Amongthemwaskieraelizabeth, her three children – aged nine, six and four – as well as her mother, who owns the cabin.
Kiera said: “We woke up to one of the children needing the toilet in the early hours of the morning.itwasabout2am.none oftheelectricswereworking.we gotoutofbedtoapuddleofwater, about ankle high.
"In a matter of half an hour, it had filled up the whole cabin up to our knees. It had covered the bottom bunk of the bed. We moved the children to the top bunk and went out to shout for help. We had to go a foot deep in water,itwasuptomyhips–completely over the cars.”
Kiera said a man from a nearby flat heard her cries and came to help.
“He took us to safety in his flat,” Kiera said. “We were safe and laid low until half six.
“The fire brigade were doing a door-to-door evacuation. They came up and got us – three kids, four adults and three dogs in a first floor flat. They contemplated taking us out by boat but the dogs were too big. They walked us through with the children over their shoulders. They were justincredible.theydidn’tleave our side. They were so good and passed on from people to people to get us safely out of the park.”
Once at the entrance, emergency crews took the family's details and got them into an ambulance.
Kiera added: "We were freezing. We had no coats or shoes as they were submerged in the water by the time we woke up. The kids had blankets from friends in the flat.
"They took us by ambulance up to the church. Everything set out. Blankets and drinks, spare socks.
"They were so lovely and caring,tryingtomakejokeswiththe kids. Volunteers from the Red Cross were just incredible.
"We got put in a coach, filled up with passengers, dogs, kids. They took us to Seal Bay, where we got fed, hot drinks, warm blankets. Medmerry staff met us there."
Kiera's parents own the cabinandthefamilyhavebeen‘holidaying at the park for years’. Themum-of-threesaid:"it was heartbreaking to see the cabinunderwaterlikethat.it’s not just a holiday – it has all our possessionsin.it’sgotmemories.
It can all be replaced and we are allsafe–that’sthemainthing.