Aidan Ricketts’ north Lismore house had never flooded before but he woke before dawn to water pouring in. But Ricketts, who owns a 4.5-metre boat, managed to get his own household safe before returning to rescue people living in the surrounding streets.
On Monday he ferried 16 people and five dogs to safety.
“My [elevated] house is above the one-in-100-year flood standard,” he said.
“We were expecting to wake up with high water around us, then go and help other people. I had the tinnie tied up outside but, by 5am the water was coming in the house, so we just went out and rescued other people anyway, because there was nothing I could do for our house.”
Ricketts said he could see people in need of rescuing as he was evacuating his own household of six.
“As we left, there were neighbours sitting on roofs and we heard people in a roof cavity trying to bash the tin off their roof and get out,” he said.
“We heard the banging and went over. They were trying to angle-grind and bash the tin off the roof to get out. We helped them rip the tin off, then another boat came, they are fine.
“I’m having trouble remembering how many I rescued, at least 16 from North Lismore. I ferried them across the river to Hindmarsh Street which is the beginning of a hill going up to Goonellabah. That has become our mainland.”
Ricketts said he could not estimate how any people were trapped in homes by the flood water on Tuesday.
“It is absolutely massive because these floods are at least two metres higher than anything known, so people, who were sure their house was not going to get flooded, would have stayed. I pulled one guy who was just standing there in four foot of water from his house into our boat.
“A lot of people had ended up in the ceiling or on the roof but of course the roof is safer.”
Ricketts described the flood as being “beyond all records or memories of flooding”.
“I don’t think the modelling of any of the services was even designed to cater for this,” he said. “It seems to be part of that incredible confluence of extreme weather events that we are constantly seeing around the world.”
Ricketts is not the only local hero. Vincent Marychurch and Jeff Harris told the ABC they had rescued 25 people in their tinnie, after setting out at 4am.
Ricketts said he had barely slept in the 48 hours since the extreme weather arrived in the northern rivers.
“I guess you have to stop somewhere but the rescuing thing is addictive because every time you go down a street and get one person you see five others.”
Ricketts was having a break on Monday afternoon, and considering whether to continue rescuing. He said his boat had 50 horsepower so could negotiate the water currents.
“I only had one offsider in the boat because there is such a premium on body space so you can only have the driver and the person at the front,” he said.
“We began with our immediate neighbourhood and our hands were instantly full, but we found that whenever we went just one street further there would be another five or so households needing help.
“We took couples, individuals and five dogs. I had to keep bailing the boat because it is still raining.”
