A 51-year-old man from Sharon was found safe just after 9am on 15 March at a Wood Road address, two days after going into the water from a houseboat in the Burnett River. He was transported to Bundaberg Hospital for assessment.
Police and emergency services had been called around 1am on 13 March to the Burnett River near Adams Street following reports a man had gone into the water from a houseboat and had not been seen since. The search of the Burnett River coincided with major flooding, with the river hitting a flood peak of about 7.4 metres on Wednesday morning.
While rescue crews searched the flooded river, another wave of heavy rain triggered a series of rescues across Far North Queensland. Rescues occurred at Mossman and Redlynch on Sunday morning after heavy rain caused flash flooding and river rises, with no one harmed, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said. The conditions were extreme; more than 200 millimetres of rain fell in just six hours at Redlynch in Cairns.
The flooding picture is more alarming when viewed across the broader state. Major flood warnings were current on Sunday afternoon for the Thomson River at Longreach, Upper Balonne River at Surat and Cooper Creek at Windorah. Longreach is facing the town's first major flood since 2000. As of early Sunday, the Thomson River had risen to 6.12 metres with the peak of 6.5 metres expected late that day.
The slow rise of floodwaters in Longreach has created a particular frustration for residents preparing for inundation. The Thomson River was rising incredibly slowly at Longreach, with the premier saying "This has been water that's been in the system and coming for a long time" and noting "because of a lack of gauges in many parts, they have been flying blind."
Relentless rain and subsequent flooding has swamped Queensland since Christmas. The scale of the disaster has prompted government action. The federal and Queensland governments extended personal hardship assistance to flood-hit residents in 10 Gladstone Regional Council localities.
The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event significant, with thousands of claims received and numbers expected to rise over the coming days, though it is too early to estimate the insurance damage bill. Police thanked the media, community and all emergency services and volunteers for their assistance throughout the multi-agency response.