A Black Hawk helicopter has recovered 14 cars stranded in the sea after record flooding in Victoria.
Authorities began recovering vehicles at Wye River and Cumberland River, along Victoria’s Surf Coast, on Thursday morning after heavy rainfall caused great damage a week earlier.
Victoria’s State Emergency Service said 12 vehicles had been successfully recovered from the Cumberland River and two from the Wye River in an update issued just before midday.
All collected vehicles have been safely moved to a parking area.
The Great Ocean Road between Lorne and Skenes Creek reopened early after hours on Thursday afternoon to allow the Black Hawk to pluck stranded vehicles from the surf.
Victoria’s State Emergency Service said on Thursday 14 vehicles had been recovered. Source: Delivered
The recovery operation took approximately three hours.
“And while two have already been recovered from the shallow bank of the Wye River, two more we know of are below the surf,” said SES Chief Officer Alistair Drayton.
A number of caravans had also disintegrated beneath the water’s surface, he said.
Vehicles were lifted to a roadside parking lot and then transported by truck to another area so owners or insurers could inspect them.
The helicopter was organized by maritime salvage experts, which Parks Victoria uses when ships get into trouble along the Great Ocean Road.
More than 178mm of rain fell in the area over a six-hour period last Thursday, with Lorne station recording the highest 24-hour reading since records began in 1884.
Cars were washed into the surf after flash flooding near the Wye River last week. Source: MONKEY / Michael Currie
Hundreds of people were displaced, with one child injured and flown to hospital.
The area is a popular tourist attraction and welcomes thousands of holidaymakers during school holidays.
Water quality in the area has returned to normal, Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority confirmed on Wednesday.
The risk to human health from swimming is likely to be considered low, but the regulator warned people to wear gloves, goggles and rubber boots while cleaning up.
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