‘Wall of water’: Chaos as child rescued from wild flash flooding in Victoria, hundreds of people displaced

Dramatic footage has revealed the extent of Victoria’s chaotic flash flooding as multiple people were flown out of flooded rivers, including a man who was hiking from a hilltop and another elderly man with his dog.

The multiple helicopter rescues have been called a “Victorian-first”, as the police in the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) in Williamstown rescued and retrieved five people stuck in the severe flash flooding in the afternoon and into the evening along the Great Ocean Road on Thursday.

Life Saving Victoria winched a man who was hiking from a hilltop about 1km north west of Cumberland River.

A group of four hikers, including an 88-year-old with a dog, were also rescued after being guided out to the Great Ocean Road by a tactical flight officer who was dropped into the terrain by an air wing.

The coordinated response also winched a man aged in his 60s from the roof of a shed at the Cumberland River.

Two four-wheel drives bogged west of Lorne were collected by the search and rescue team, police said.

Young child rescued amid flash flooding

A young child has been rescued and hundreds of others remain displaced after mammoth flash floods swept through parts of Victoria.

Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch confirmed the child was flown to safety by rescue authorities after being injured on Friday.

The young boy reportedly climbed onto the roof of one a building inside a caravan park.

It is understood there have been “very minor injuries” and Victoria Police say there are no missing persons.

Mr Wiebusch told reporters around 200 to 300 people were displaced during the flash flooding weather event.

The extreme weather is set to ease over the weekend with settled weather conditions forecasted, and a slight risk of some local minor flooding the far east Gippsland region.

However, the watch point for authorities will be early next week when severe thunderstorms could return to Victoria in the western parts on Monday, more likely for the east on Tuesday.

Clean up effort begins post severe flash flooding

The mammoth clean-up effort has begun after a popular holiday spot in Victoria was smashed by a “super storm” and “wall of water”, sweeping dozens of cars into the sea and into the side of buildings.

About 180mm of rain fell in less than five hours along the Great Ocean Road on Thursday, washing cars down the road and into the ocean, smashing them into buildings and ending lodged under bridges as water rapidly rose in the streets. 

Since midday Thursday, Victorian SES volunteers responded to 37 requests in the Barwon Southwest region, including 12 for fallen trees and seven for flood assistance.

SES volunteers in the Lorne region were the “busiest during this period”, a spokesman said, with 22 calls for assistance in Lorne, Wye River, Kennett and Separation Creek.

No injuries have been reported.

Wild vision shows one car being swept into sea due to the flooding of the Wye River, about two and a half hours southwest of Melbourne.

Several vehicles smashed into buildings and bridges, crushed by the extreme force as locals and tourists watched in disbelief.

Holiday-goers at a caravan park at Wye River were forced to evacuate as the waters carried their belongings away.

Crowds gathered on the side of the road as trees, debris and cars pummelled bridges, watching as emergency services worked to clear the roads.

Dave Morgan, who has been visiting Lorne for more than three decades, said he had never seen anything like it.

Australian musician Mike Brady told the Herald Sun the sky turned “black, like the night” before the storm hit.

“It went absolutely pitch black,” he told the outlet.

“It created like a wall of water – a raging torrent came down our little creek, and then it just opened up … I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime.”

VicEmergency issued an emergency warning for residents living in Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River, Lorne and surrounds at about 2.30pm on Thursday.

“Very dangerous conditions are being caused by a severe thunderstorm and flash flooding,” the emergency warning said.

The threat has since passed and the warning has been downgraded.

However, VicEmergency said there was still a risk of dangerous hazards in the emergency area, as well as potential landslips.

“You can now return to normal activity, but be aware there are hazards that still exist in the warning area,” they said.

Rain records were broken with the rain gauge in the Mt Cowley area recording more than 170mm of rain since 9am on Thursday.

The rainfall is the highest 24-hour rain total for the site since records began in 2000.

The warning told people to “be aware” as heavy rainfall may also increase the potential for landslides and debris across roads.