Floods bring tragedy

THE February floods brought destruction, mayhem and devastating loss to the district.

Tragically, local eight year old boy Aaron Lade was drowned in a storm water drain while playing on a boogie board. Despite desperate efforts to save Aaron he became a tragic victim of the deluge. The tragedy brought home the terrible dangers involved in innocent play in floodwaters. Aaron attended Palmwoods State School and leaves behind a grieving family, Chris and Judy and his siblings Dale and Toyah.

In an unrelated incident, Palmwoods woman Crystal Neilsen lost her long-time friend Joe Campo in a nightmare ordeal at Kenilworth. Ms Nielsen survived a terrifying 36 hour battle to stay alive, after the campervan she and Mr Campo were travelling in was washed away in raging waters at Little Yabba Creek. While many suffered loss of property, these families will carry the loss of the big wet.

Palmwoods railway overpass was awash during the February floods,
and below, water had just receded from the Eudlo General Store.