Amid the ongoing flood crisis in Far North Queensland, authorities remain “extremely concerned” for the welfare of an 85-year-old man who has been missing since Sunday.
The resident was last seen in Degarra, 20 kilometres north of Port Douglas, which has been significantly affected by the floods.
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Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy expressed the challenges faced by search and rescue teams as they conducted both land and water searches in Degarra.
Despite their efforts, the elderly man has not been located.
“What our troops found on the ground yesterday was devastation. The vegetation had been snapped and ripped through, and where that male person’s house was, it’s been washed away,” Commissioner Chelepy said in the ABC News Breakfast.
Authorities are urging residents with information about the missing man to come forward.
The Far North Queensland region has experienced record-breaking rainfall, causing extensive flooding and prompting evacuations in various towns.
In the wake of the disaster, Wujal Wujal, a town heavily impacted by the floods, continues its evacuation efforts.
Deputy Commissioner Chelepy reported that 97 people were successfully evacuated from Wujal Wujal to Cooktown, and additional evacuations are planned for isolated communities throughout the Cape York Peninsula.
The cleanup process has commenced in the flood-affected areas, with residents grappling with the aftermath of more than 2 metres of rain in less than seven days.
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