By Jamie Salter
“All the power was out; it was pitch-black and pouring rain when I headed down another track.”
Pakenham resident Daniel Hudson is being recognised as part of the Australian Bravery Decorations for his actions during a flash flood at Wilsons Promontory National Park.
A Parks Victoria employee, Mr Hudson is receiving the award of the Group Bravery Citation for their efforts to rescue people during the unprecedented rainfall event in 2011.
By 4pm on 22 March, Wilsons Promontory had received more than 100mm of rain and were expecting the same amount to fall overnight.
An emergency response was initiated by Parks Victoria rangers who began to advise campers to evacuate the area.
Around 9pm, serious flash flooding had occurred.
“I was hopping into bed when I got a phone call saying the campground was in flood and they needed a hand,“ Mr Hudson said.
“As soon as I was running down the road towards staff headquarters I had water up to my waist.”
Mr Hudson and his coworker jumped in a car to go down to the campground when the vehicle got picked up by the water and completely turned around.
The pair exited the car through the windows, with Mr Hudson heading towards the cabins and his coworker towards the campground in search for people in need of assistance.
The power to the campground failed, plunging the area into darkness, as waters rose to almost two metres in some areas.
“All I had was the light of my phone screen,“ Mr Hudson said.
“I got to the very last cabin and was up to my neck in water and I heard these people calling out.
“The whole cabin was full of water and there was an elderly couple standing on the kitchen bench asking what was going on.“
Mr Hudson carried the women to safety, holding her head above water while keeping his phone held high as they swam through shrubs and debris.
People were taken to a lodge above the waterline and it became the unofficial community centre and gathering point.
Mr Hudson and a coworker then came to another cabin where he found a family with two children.
Again, he risked his own safety to carry them out of the flooded area.
“I put one of the young kids on my back and we all linked arms because the waters current was so strong,“ Mr Hudson said.
The extensive flooding caused the collapse of the Darby River Bridge which cut road access to the promontory.
About 200 people were trapped in the Tidal River township, with a futher 200 trapped throughout the park.
“That night we all regrouped and accounted for everybody and the next day it looked like a bomb had gone off – everything was displaced,“ Mr Hudson said.
The flooding event dumped more than 370mm of rain in the space of 24 hours and was completely unexpected.
No casualties occurred during the incident, and visitors were evacuated from the area by helicopter over the following days.
“We had so many people looking for help so we were taking food out of the Tidal River General Store,“ Mr Hudson said.
It was Mr Hudson’s job to prioritise who needed to be evacuated first, starting with those on medication, the elderly and children.
“Everybody wanted to go, so some of the decisions we were making were really hard and it was heartbreaking when that last chopper flew out that night and we had to tell a few hundred people that they would have to wait until tomorrow,“ he said.
“I’ll never forget it and I still think about it a lot today, I think about how much your life can change in five minutes.“
Mr Hudson said he was very humbled to be acknowledged with a bravery award.
“I feel very privileged for my colleagues I worked with that night, it was nothing I ever expected,“ he said.
“Wilsons Promontory is so remote, Parks Victoria are the first responders.“
Mr Hudson now works at Tidal River once again, working as a project coordinator for invasive species as part of the Prom Sanctuary project.
He said it was still his favourite place in Victoria.
The independent Australian Bravery Decorations Council makes recommendations to the Governor-General regarding who should be recognised and at what level of award.
The Governor-General David Hurley has announced 38 Australian Bravery Decorations to recognise the courageous acts of 49 people.
“In a moment of peril, today’s recipients were selfless and brave. On behalf of all Australians, I offer congratulations and thanks.“
