NSW floods: Dramatic rooftop rescue caught on camera
A family of five have been rescued from the roof of their house, after floodwaters inundated their community just south of Ballina.
The rescue was carried out by the Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter on Wednesday morning.
In a video released by LifeFlight, the family are seen huddled together on the roof, the property around their home completely inundated with flood waters.
The family were spotted by the aeromedical team and after the situation was evaluated, it was decided the LifeFlight Flight paramedic and a rescue basket would be lowered to the roof.
Two adults, a teenager and two younger children were rescued in the series of winch operations and were flown to safety in the helicopter.
LifeFlight said the family were a bit shaken after the ordeal, but were in "good spirits".
The Land Rover LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter is specifically designed for emergency response deployment and is usually based in Queensland.
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However, the chopper is currently operating out of Ballina, in the north coast of NSW to support the NSW SES response to the flooding.
The LifeFlight helicopter also helped a man aged in his 60s, after he fell and fractured his ribs.
The man was in a remote location, cut off by floodwaters, so he was transported by boat to meet the helicopter crew, before being taken to hospital for treatment.
Four dead from Lismore flood
About 30km inland from Ballina, four fatalities have been confirmed in Lismore amid the floods.
Two women in their 80s and a man in his 70s were found dead in their flooded homes, while another man's body was found floating down a Lismore street.
Another man died on the Central Coast last Friday morning after his car was swept away in floodwaters.
The intense rain and subsequent flood essentially cut Lismore off from the rest of the world, resulting in rescue and emergency services as residents used a flotilla of tinnies, inflatables and canoes to rescue stranded people.
Up to 100 people were trapped on their roofs, waiting for help for hours.
Food supply chain disrupted in NSW north
On Thursday, the clean-up of the mud-covered city continued as people assessed the damage and counted the losses of homes and businesses.
Residents in both Ballina and Lismore are now facing food shortages as most supermarkets were underwater and petrol shortages.
Flood-affected areas in the Northern Rivers region are banking on freight lines reopening on Thursday.
Around half a million people across NSW are subject to an evacuation order or warning.
The unprecedented flood crisis is migrating south, with Sydney, the Hunter, Illawarra and Central Coast now copping a deluge.
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