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Boy dies to save his brother in Australia floods

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Sandra White
12 April 2012

A teenager stranded on top of a car in rising flood waters in Australia was swept to his death after insisting his younger brother was saved first.

Jordan Rice, 13, his brother Blake, 10, and their mother Donna were returning home after a shopping trip in Toowoomba when a wall of water left them stranded on the roof of their car.

Mrs Rice, 43, contacted the emergency services as the waters rose rapidly in the Queensland city's financial district and was told that she and the children should stay with the car.

When no one came an onlooker grabbed a rope, secured it to a tree and tried to wade in after the family. But Jordan — who could not swim and was terrified of water — refused to go first, instead sending Blake to safety.

When the man returned to save Jordan and Mrs Rice the rope broke and they were swept to their deaths.

Jordan's father, John Tyson told the Toowoomba Chronicle: "I can only imagine what was going on inside to give up his life to save his brother, even though he was petrified of water. He is our little hero."

Flood waters which have ravaged parts of Australia are yet to peak and people have been warned of a "day of devastation" tomorrow.

Much of Queensland is already under water. At least 12 people are dead and 43 still missing in what state premier Anna Bligh called "the worst natural disaster in our history".

Brisbane, Australia's third largest city, has been turned into a ghost town as offices and homes have been evacuated. Such is the power of the water that some buildings have been completely washed away — a Thai restaurant headed out to sea followed by the floating beer garden of a riverside restaurant. And Queenslanders have been warned the worst is yet to come.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said: "Prepare yourselves for a day of devastation."

The Brisbane river has reached more than 13 feet but it is expected to peak at 18 feet by dawn local time and there could be another peak 12 hours later.

Even if there is no more rain the water is not expected to subside until the weekend. At least 40,000 homes have been destroyed or badly damaged with around 20,000 completely submerged in Brisbane and the 50 surrounding suburbs.

Martin Warburton, who lives in the Lockyer Valley town of Grantham, said he had tried to rescue people he thought were swimming by his house only to find out they had already drowned. He said: "You saw arms, hands, grey hair and that was it, by the time you knelt down and try to grab them, you realise they're not swimming, they are already gone."

E-coli has been detected in Chinchilla, west of Brisbane, and people have been advised to boil their water.