As many people in Lismore scrambled on to theirs roofs to avoid flood waters, Fay and Bruce Ross climbed in to theirs. They thought it would be safe — but they were wrong. Ms Ross, 77, and her husband, 79, took their dog and cat into their roof cavity with them, and then spent six hours waiting and hoping for the situation to ease. “We have a roof ladder so we dropped that down and we were putting some food and supplies and things up into the roof cavity and we got up there with the dog and the cat and that’s where we spent a lot of time,” Ms Ross said. It kept them dry but also made it difficult to see the situation unfolding around them. “It was quite dark up there … we could hear neighbours up on their roof and we couldn’t do a thing for them,” Ms Ross said.

“We were working out what time it would be appropriate to push roof tiles off [to get] up to the roof.

“My husband happened to go downstairs to see what the damage was and saw a rescue boat coming up the street and he called out.” They waded through deep water to reach the rescue boat and had to leave all their belongings behind.

“We brought the dog with us … our cat is still up in the roof cavity with a bucket of food. We waded in chest high water to get into the flood boat,” Ms Ross said.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this could happen … it’s been pretty devastating.” Many faced a similar predicament, stuck in roof cavities and attics with nowhere to go. Some were forced to cut through the roof to get out, and on social media, rescuers were urged to bring axes or saws with them to reach those stuck inside.

‘Flotilla of boats’

Ms Ross’s neighbours, Paul dos Remedios and his partner Kerynne Sbrocchi, both aged 70, were also rescued by a private boat.

“We were resting on the bed … the highest point in the house, but then the bed started to float, and I thought, we have to get out of here,” Mr dos Remedios said.

Mr dos Remedios said if it was not for local boat-owners, and a call out for private assistance by the Lismore Mayor, many would not have made it out. “A flotilla of boats came, private people, risking their own life and limb to get people to safety,” he said.

Flooded house on fire

One of those who set out early in a boat to help rescue people was South Lismore business owner, Troy Matthews, who said he saw “absolute carnage” in the early hours of Monday morning. “I went to bed at 3am, woke up at 4am and the water had risen three metres in an hour … it was just incredible,” he said. “The neighbour next to us, her house caught on fire, there must have been an electrical fault. “So she’s on the roof, there’s a fire, she’s got cats and rabbits and all her pets, and her life is burning down underneath her. “I managed to get my boat going and got her off the roof.” Mr Matthews then spent six harrowing hours ferrying trapped neighbours across the river to safety. “We had to smash a window with our boat anchor to get another gentleman out,” he said. “Another man was incapacitated, he couldn’t walk properly so he was up to his nose in water. We had to drag him out through a window … he had just been standing there, resigned to his fate. “People were just yelling and screaming.”

Search for people continues

The Wilsons River peaked last night at 14.4 metres — more than 2m above the previous record flood in 1954 — and rescue operations are continuing today. SES aircraft are looking for people trapped on roofs across the area. Community members also took to social media yesterday to post reports of stranded residents, many detailing accounts of elderly residents and people with disabilities who couldn’t move to higher ground or make it onto rooftops to wait for help. Shared spreadsheets and interactive maps were posted to social media providing live updates of those who needed to be rescued. Dave Rankin from the SES said he was grateful for the community’s actions. “We were worried that a lot of those boat owners might put themselves in danger – they’ve ignored that and gone out and done so many rescues – we want to thank them immeasurably for the assistance they’ve provided.”