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Sale to the rescue
By Andrew Stackpool
Volume 49, No. 12, July 12, 2007 |
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SPECIAL DELIVERY: Residents of Licola in North Gippsland were grateful to the ADF for delivering fuel and supplies to their small community isolated by flood waters. Making the difficult 13-hour journey by road were, from left, SGT Matt Hall, CPL Steve Meyer and PTE Trish Attrill.
Photo by AC Warren Derwent |
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Inset: The flooded landscape near East Sale.
Photo by AC Warren Derwent |
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| WELL DONE: East Sale’s acting base commander WGCDR Graham Walton thanks the local SAR helicopter crew for their assistance with the flood emergency in Gippsland. |
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| DETOUR: The Unimog is negotiated through flood waters enroute to Licola to deliver supplies to isolated residents. |
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RAAF Base East Sale has pitched in to assist nearby townships as well as local emergency services and other East Gippsland residents placed at risk by the recent extreme weather conditions and flooding.
Its critical support commenced late on June 28 when its SAR helicopter scrambled to assist the Victorian Police helicopter rescue the residents of the small township of Newry, north of Maffra, from rising floodwaters.
The extent and speed of the flood followed the wild weather on June 27. With rainfall in excess of 300mm in the high country, the East Gippsland rivers were swiftly turned into raging torrents.
The residents of Newry were cut off from safety by unprecedented flows down the Macalister River before they had time to react, and in fading light 90 residents were airlifted to safety.
“The helicopter literally saved the day,” WGCDR Keith Miller, from the base Reserve Staff Group, said.
The next day the helicopter was in action again, doing reconnaissance work, delivering a dialysis patient to Sale, picking up a lady with a heart condition from Glencairn north of Licola, and providing other humanitarian aid to isolated townships and communities.
While the helicopter was occupied, on the ground preparations for emergency and disaster relief also got into full swing.
“We borrowed a 4BDE Unimog [truck] and had it on standby,” WGCDR Miller said. “The conditions may have precluded its use, but we let the police know it was there.”
The helicopter remained on standby over the weekend, but the truck was required.
“The Unimog carried out a 13-hour round trip to Licola, which is normally a pleasant 75km drive, to deliver essential supplies of fuel, water and food,” WGCDR Miller said.
“It was driven by CPL Steve Meyer and SGT Matthew Hall (from RAAF Base East Sale) and PTE Trish Attrill (from the Army Reserve). They had to go via logging tracks, as the road between Glenmaggie to Licola to the north had been badly damaged, with a key bridge destroyed.
“Their arrival was a great morale boost for the residents of Licola, who were essentially isolated and still recovering from the devastating fires last summer.
“CPL Meyer said it was a very demanding day as they were driving through mud, snow and the now-sodden fire-devastated country.”
Despite concerns, the flood and weather impacts on the base were minimal, with the loss of a few trees, and some personnel cut off from work by the fast-rising flood waters.
Other base personnel were also kept busy as the base supplied stretchers and blankets for the emergency evacuation centre in Sale and 150 meals on June 29 for volunteers working on relief and mitigation activities at Newry.
Despite the overall improvement in conditions around East Gippsland, at the time of going to press, RAAF Base East Sale remained on standby to provide what help it could. |
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