A mother and daughter have had a lucky escape from rising floodwaters after a 'good samaritan' came to their rescue.
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A woman, thought to be aged in her forties, and her six-year-old daughter, were stranded on the roof of their car after driving into the flooded Jacqua Creek, some 15km from Bungonia at about 8pm on Friday, June 7.
Bungonia district resident and former police officer, Greg Callander, was first on scene at the Lumley Road crossing.
About 94mm of rain had pummelled the area over the previous two days. Mr Callander said he was alerted by an RFS notification about the incident. The RFS member arrived at 8.15pm at Jacqua Creek to find the woman and child standing on the car roof in the middle of the causeway.
"The mother had started to inflate a hi-lo bed to get themselves out...By that time the water was up to the car doors," he said.
"I planned to get get them out myself but before I did that, I thought it best to call triple zero in case something happened to me."
But without communication in that patch, Mr Callander had to back up the hill to make the call.
He then waded out in 600mm to 800mm deep water and collected the child. He rescued her mother soon after. Both were out of the causeway within 30 minutes.
A 4WD arrived and Mr Callander hooked up a winch. The car was pulled free of the creek.
SES, police and ambulance also attended the scene.
The Isaacs, ACT woman later explained she was on her way to Gerringong for a family reunion when she was diverted via Bungonia. Mr Callander said she did not see the flooded causeway before she drove into it.
He took them back to his home and gave them a hot drink. The child promptly fell asleep until a tow truck driver arrived at 10pm to pick them both up. They were driven to Goulburn where family from the ACT were due to meet them.
"They were both calm and collected throughout," Mr Callander said.
"They were very grateful and the woman left me three cans of bourbon."
He also gave the child his dashcam stills and video so she could take them to 'show and tell' at school.
Mr Callander said it was his first flood rescue in many years but had previously performed some with the police in the Illawarra region.
Rain causes havoc
The incident was one of several across the region, following heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday, June 6 and 7. Goulburn TAFE recorded 96mm up until 9am Saturday, while the airport registered 68mm. Bradfordville resident, Leon Oberg, recorded 116mm in his gauge, while Mayor Peter Walker reported 140mm at Middle Arm. Nearby, George Preston received 145mm at Rhyanna.
![The Wollondilly River beside the riverwalk on Friday morning. Picture by Chris Gordon. The Wollondilly River beside the riverwalk on Friday morning. Picture by Chris Gordon.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/569e0b57-36fc-4f66-94f9-3548cdadbf90.jpg/r0_0_2048_956_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Quialigo property owner, Alex Mortensen received 70mm but larger totals were reported around Windellama.
At Curraweela, 20km north of Taralga, Frank Startari registered 130mm. The nearby causeway, like many others in the region, was flooded. It rose to 800mm and stranded motorists on either side.
Mr Startari accommodated two Crookwell men aged in the sixties who were stranded between the Abercrombie River and Curraweela Creek.
"They hadn't eaten in 24 hours and slept in their vehicles on Thursday night. I invited them to come and eat and stay the night," he said.
Others were stranded on the northern side of the Abercrombie Bridge, which was flooded on Friday.
The downpour caused multiple road closures and school bus run cancellations across Goulburn Mulwaree and Upper Lachlan Shire.
![A ute was stranded at Curraweela Creek north of Taralga on Friday, June 7. Picture by Frank Startari. A ute was stranded at Curraweela Creek north of Taralga on Friday, June 7. Picture by Frank Startari.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/cf699c5e-df91-4880-8205-4e8eb2f40dbd.JPG/r0_0_1200_1036_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The SES issued two watch and act alerts for lower lying areas around the Wollondilly River in Goulburn. Areas such as Tully Park and parts of Bradfordville and Eastgrove were saturated. The Wollondilly Riverwalk was closed due to flooding.
The city's main water storage, Sooley Dam also spilled.
Goulburn SES commander, Steve Watson, said crews attended about 25 call-outs over the two days, mainly to flooded homes and leaking roofs. On Thursday, the SES drove school children cut off by floodwater over to the Tallong residential estate.
On Thursday, June 7, an SES flood rescue team retrieved a woman and her dog stranded at the Goulburn Golf Club off Blackshaw Road. The clubhouse itself was not flooded but the nearby Mulwaree Ponds had risen, cutting access.
Forbes Street in Goulburn was closed in both directions on Saturday morning.
![The Wollondilly River at Marsden Weir, Goulburn, on Friday morning. Picture by Louise Thrower. The Wollondilly River at Marsden Weir, Goulburn, on Friday morning. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/ce8fb88f-15b8-487c-b8e8-586aff954703.JPG/r0_181_4288_2735_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Watson said water was "powering" over Marsden Weir on the Wollondilly River on Saturday morning.
"It was a medium flood and we didn't cop it as much as the Illawarra. The weather system moved west but Goulburn felt the effects of that with the water coming back to us down the river," he said.
Nevertheless, the SES didn't have to perform any flood rescues. They did however retrieve people stranded by rising water.
Cr Walker said the council had worked with Goulburn Golf Club to improve drainage in the area. He was pleased that the clubhouse didn't flood and further afield, that water didn't top the new Towrang Bridge.
![The Mulwaree Ponds at Goulburn Golf Club on Thursday, June 6. Picture by Louise Thrower. The Mulwaree Ponds at Goulburn Golf Club on Thursday, June 6. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/8386dc99-33a6-46fc-b999-3a3fb36641e3.JPG/r0_125_4032_2885_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The mayor has suggested that the golf club apply for disaster assistance, given its community importance.
"I also think we (the council) need more funding to clean out the river so the water doesn't back-up during heavy rain," he said.
Cr Walker expected the council would undertake an assessment of damage for a possible disaster assistance application.