A search and rescue operation is underway at Burnett Heads in the Bundaberg region after a man vanished in floodwaters from a houseboat. Police were called to the scene near Adams Street on the Burnett River in the early hours of Thursday morning after reports that a man had gone into the water and not returned.
The man has not yet been located despite ongoing efforts by police and emergency services. The incident comes as the Burnett Heads area faces some of the most severe flooding Queensland has experienced in years. Police are urging anyone with information to contact them through the online suspicious activity form or anonymously via Crime Stoppers.
Burnett Heads has been heavily impacted by the ongoing Queensland floods. The Burnett River peaked at approximately 7.4 metres this week, approaching levels not seen since the devastating December 2010 flood event. The Bureau of Meteorology had warned that the river could reach 7.6 metres, potentially matching one of the region's worst natural disasters in over a decade.
The context of this rescue effort underscores the severity of the weather emergency unfolding across Queensland. The flooding has already claimed at least two lives elsewhere in the state, with two young backpackers found dead in a submerged vehicle near Kilkivan after they went missing while travelling from Brisbane to the North Burnett region. Communities from Bundaberg to Chinchilla are under evacuation orders, and the damage to infrastructure, agriculture and homes across western Queensland continues to mount as floodwaters recede.
Authorities have repeatedly stressed the danger posed by floodwaters. Official advice emphasises that people should never enter flood water, and warnings remain in place across multiple river systems throughout central and southern Queensland.