PHOTO: Rachael Swansborough helps Dean Bruce load his helicopter with supplies.
By OLIVER BROWN
PEOPLE isolated by recent flood waters are receiving air support as part of a collaboration between emergency responders and a charitable business.
Orange resident and owner and operator of a family-run helicopter company Dean Bruce is part of Rural Fire Service organisation ‘Call When Needed’ based out of Homebush in Sydney.
Mr Bruce said a fuel truck and his helicopter were tasked on Sunday 28 November to operate out of Coonamble airport and be a part of the localised flood response.
“Our role is to run medical supplies, groceries and any other services out to people that have been affected or cut off by the flood waters,” Mr Bruce said.
“As we’re all aware, all the emergency services hierarchy have been pretty adamant about not driving through the water, so they’ve provided a service to encourage people away from that.”
The supply drops built up momentum over the past week or so, with drop off points including properties in and around Coonamble, Coonabarabran and Wee Waa.
One Coonamble business, Swannys Foods delivered stock from Meals on Wheels, including whole chickens and sticky date pudding, to Mr Bruce’s helicopter on Tuesday afternoon 30 November to be delivered to people in need.
Swannys Manager Steven Butler said he and Namoi Care Connect (NCC) from Wee Waa liaised with the local SES to use Mr Bruce’s helicopter to get the meals delivered from Coonamble after Wee Waa was cut-off in all directions due to flooding.
“Namoi Care looked at boating meals in from the Pilliga end, but due to the Coonamble to Pilliga road being closed to all traffic, Swannys couldn’t offer a Pilliga delivery,” Mr Butler said.
“Mitchel Robb from Swannys gave up his lunch break to help with the deliveries to Coonamble aerodrome which were collected by the chopper for the quick flight to Wee Waa.
“Over the years we have worked with emergency services and our customers to fly food supplies to Walgett and Lightning Ridge on many occasions but this is a first for Wee Waa from Coonamble for us,” Mr Butler said.
With the township of Quambone being cut off from Coonamble by flood waters the Quambone Store also received their delivery of bread, milk, medication and car parts from the air in the early evening.
Store owner Darius Smith said it had been exciting to see their supplies delivered via helicopter and was grateful it allowed the town and nearby properties to get some vital supplies.
“It was like something out of one of those action movies with the blades spinning just above the co-pilot’s head while getting ready for take-off – we were running for cover behind our cars and he didn’t even duck,” Mr Smith said.
“It was a very important delivery because there was someone’s asthma medication in there. They were also able to pick up a couple of parcels from us and deliver them to the Thurn property out on the Coonamble to Quambone Road.”
During their time in Coonamble, Mr Bruce said the helicopter would have done about eight separate deliveries to nearby areas.
“We’ve found a few things while we’ve been out there as well – we found a nice late model Volvo car that was semi-submerged in water and some cattle that had been stricken by water,” he said.
“So it’s not just the actual tasking, we’ve got our eyes open as well. We take some photos and get some co-ordinates and we put it through to the dispatch centre and they then act accordingly.”
He says the floods are far from over and encouraged anyone feeling they were in need of this kind of support to contact the NSW SES which is coordinating the flood response.