A ROYAL Australian Navy helicopter from HMAS Albatross has rescued a group of campers, including a nine-year-old boy and a pet dog, from the Wollondilly Forest, after they were trapped by rising floodwaters at a remote campsite near Wombeyan Caves.
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The MRH-90 helicopter from 808 Squadron rescued the group who had been stranded by rising floodwaters since the weekend.
They became stranded at the remote location when the river flooded and washed their campsite and food supplies away on Saturday.
The group spent the night sleeping in a shed on higher ground.
A father and son, who were also camping near the riverbank, were also left stranded as the three metre-wide creek turned into a raging river.
The alarm was raised and despite members of the Mittagong State Emergency Service attempting rescue on foot they were unsuccessful due to the conditions and in particular a number of creeks that were "running hard."
The SES maintained contact with the group via a landline telephone at the campsite and knew they were safe, however, crews were unable to reach them by road.
The owner of the river station waded through the flood waters to feed the stranded campers when their supplies ran out.
Attempts to airlift the campers out by navy helicopter on Monday and Tuesday were also abandoned due to conditions.
But with improved weather on Wednesday morning, the MRH-90 helicopter from Albatross successfully airlifted the nine people and a dog out of the area and took them to the NSW SES staging area at the Mittagong Sports Field.
Following the evacuation, the helicopter then continued support operations before returning to base at Albatross.
It's not the first time Navy helicopters have helped in an emergency
The ADF is assisting NSW SES as part of Operation NSW Flood Assist.
The ADF's first priority has been to assist state emergency services to evacuate people from dangerous situations.
There are also currently two navy helicopters supporting aerial search and rescue operations, with four Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopters arriving from Townsville on Thursday to significantly boost state rotary wing capabilities, vital in the emergency response phase.
As floodwaters recede, the ADF will play a key part in assessing the damage and supporting the multi-agency response.
The ADF's commitment is expected to increase to around 700 personnel as increased recovery and repair activities take place.
