A second body has been recovered from floodwaters on the NSW Mid North Coast as Sydney prepares to be hit by the torrential rain that has caused havoc further north.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of the Oxley Highway and Huntingdon Road at Rosewood, about 4km west of Wauchope, about 8.50pm Wednesday following reports a man had become stuck in floodwater while driving.
Officers attached to Mid North Coast Police District, NSW SES, NSW Fire and Rescue, and NSW Rural Fire Service attended and searched the area on Wednesday night, but they were unable to locate the man or the vehicle.
The search resumed on Thursday morning and the body of a man was located near Rosewood about 8am. While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing man, aged in his 30s.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death continue and a report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
It follows the body of a 63-year-old man being found at Moto, north of Taree.
SES commissioner Michael Wassing said emergency crews had prepared for the weather to hit Sydney too.
‘We’ve got some preparation even around Sydney … and there is some active rainfall events there. We have pre-deployed some capabilities and some management teams up into the northeast as well,’ he said.
Mr Wassing said the storm has already reached lower parts of the northeast and there will be some focus into next week on winds heading to NSW’s south and southeast.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast at least 100mm of rain will soak Sydney down to the Victorian border, with some areas in Sydney’s west likely to see minor flooding.
It was also confirmed on Thursday that staff from the n Defence Force would be deployed for search and rescue missions in the hardest hit areas overnight.
Authorities are still searching for at least two other people missing in floodwaters – a woman, 60, who was travelling between Armidale and Coffs Harbour in her 4WD and a man, 49, who reportedly walked into floodwaters south of Grafton.
The NSW SES said it had responded to 1,023 incidents, including 339 flood rescues, in the 24 hours to 5am.
More than 100 rescues in Taree, Glenthorne, Oxley Island and Motowere were outstanding on Thursday morning.
The first victim of the floods, David Knowles was found at his property on North Moto Road near Coopernook, south of Port Macquarie, about 3pm on Wednesday.
Mr Knowles’ daughter Stacey Hurrell told Daily Mail that her father’s best friend, Wayne Drury, had led a team of rescuers to the family property that afternoon.
But instead of taking a spot in the limited number of lifeboats, Mr Knowles, 63, asked rescuers to find and rescue his family instead.
Mr Knowles opted to stay behind with his blind dog and 30 head of cattle, before the rising Landsdowne River engulfed his home.
Heartbroken Ms Hurrell told Daily Mail she was ‘p***ed off’ and ‘sad’ and was trying to focus on looking after her community.
She said the local heroes, led by Mr Drury – known locally by his nickname ‘Hipshot’ – deserved a ‘medal of recognition for all the families they’ve saved’.