Community
7 February, 2025
Act of bravery
A 20-year-old Manoora man, who risked his life to save two children caught in a fast-moving flooded drain at Earlville, has been described as a hero and will be nominated for a national bravery award.
Deon Whitford didn’t hesitate to swing into action last Sunday about 3.20pm at the Earlville Shopping Town rear car park when there was a cry for help.
The general-purpose hand was sitting in his ute when a young boy, about 9, frantically knocked on his window, saying there were two girls, aged about 7 and 9, caught in floodwaters in the nearby drain.
Mr Whitford raced alongside the drain and saw the girls screaming ‘help’ in the rapids.
He said he could see they were in big trouble as about 250m downstream the drain disappeared under the car park.
“I yelled at the girls to swim upstream. I could see it in their eyes that they were petrified … they were screaming for help before one disappeared into the tubes,” Mr Whitford said.
The former Cairns State High School student said he raced over the other side.
“I waited until they emerged … there was just one (the other had already been rescued),” he said.
“I jumped in, it was waist deep but the current was strong. I reached out to her and she grabbed my hand and I pulled her out of the water.”
A passerby had rescued the other girl before she was swept under the car park.
The Tailored Marine Solutions (TMS) employee said he wasn’t thinking about his safety.
“My main priority was to get these kids to safety,” he said.
Mr Whitford said later police and ambulance arrived. Paramedics assessed the children but none required transport to Cairns Hospital.
His mum Gypsy Whitford said she was proud of her son.
“My son had to run for his life and jump in the drain to (help) save them one by one,” she said.
“As most people in Cairns know how high and fast flowing that drain behind Stockland gets in the wet. It would not have been easy getting them out.
“There was another guy there that helped pull one out but with everything going on he didn’t catch his name so please let me know if it was you. We would love to say thank you to you and your wife/partner.
“While I’m glad he was there to help and so extremely glad the children are alive and safe and emergency services were fast to respond, we all need to remember to teach our children to not play in pipes and drains.
“Thank you Deon Whitford for acting fast. We are so very proud of you”.
Cairns regional councillor Brett Moller said he would be nominating Mr Whitford for a national bravery award.
“It’s quite amazing how human nature takes over when people are in trouble, particularly children,” he said.
“It was an extraordinary act of bravery. I am very relieved there was a safe outcome for all, especially Deon.”
Cr Moller said he would be seeking more details of the rescue for the bravery award nomination.
“There were three young children involved, it was a big task,” he said.
“I believe he did get some assistance but he acted individually without regard for his own safety to return children to safety.
“An award is very deserving.”
Cr Moller issued a warning to parents and carers to drive home the message to children that if it was flooded, forget it.
He said drains, detention basins and other water courses were designed to quickly dissipate flood waters and not designed for swimming or skylarking.
