Nearly 50 heroes of Eugowra’s devastating 2022 flood have been recognised for their courage, with Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, presenting Royal Humane Society bravery honours in the town on Friday.
Among those awarded were children who smashed against a window to alert rescuers, teenagers who waded through chest-high, racing floodwaters to help others, and neighbours who risked their own lives to save those around them.
These awards are traditionally presented at Government House, but Her Excellency said it was important the presentation took place in Eugowra itself.
“I think we would have taken away, in some respects, the significance of these awards - not only for the individuals but for the town that was saved on that terrible, terrible night,” Her Excellency said.
“It’s the first time I have invested anybody outside of Government House, Sydney.
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"Never before have I invested people who saved a town. How momentous is that? How momentous is what you did?”
Her Excellency paid tribute to the community's response - the way individuals within that community and from outside - came together to save lives in an unbelievable catastrophe.
On the morning of 14 November 2022, a wall of floodwater tore through the town of just over 800 people. In an instant, everyday residents - many with no emergency response training - became rescuers.
Local emergency services, both full-time and volunteer, were joined by ordinary citizens who leapt into action, saving lives in conditions of unimaginable danger.
Her Excellency commended their selflessness and courage.
“You relied on your own courage. You drew on the strength of others, and you gave your strength in return,” she said.
Among the honourees were Macky Den, 18, and Thomas Turner, 16, who worked together for 18 hours, rescuing residents, pets, and livestock.
At one point, as they saved an elderly woman, their ute began floating in the floodwaters. When conditions became too dangerous, they joined Phil Wykamp and his team in an RFS truck, continuing their mission.
“It’s very special,” Macky said after accepting the Society’s Silver Medal. “And it’s definitely special to have the Governor here.”
Craig and Anne South were also honoured for their actions.
Craig, awarded the Bronze Medal, had been out helping friends prepare for what was expected to be a routine flood when he came across a neighbour clinging to a gate in the torrent.
He stayed with her for at least half an hour, fearing for their lives as debris - first a house, then a silo - hurtled toward them. After making it to safety, he joined local teams rescuing others in trucks.
At home, Anne faced a terrifying ordeal of her own. As floodwaters surged through their house, she managed to lift her six-day-old granddaughter to safety in the roof, followed by her daughter.
Both Craig and Anne said the ceremony meant a lot.
“It’s comforting to know that so many people still recognise the trauma we went through,” Anne said.
Having lived in Eugowra for nearly 20 years, she had seen floods before - but never water like that day.
“I don’t know how to explain it, it was just rolling. Even in the house, everything was hitting you - furniture, glass," she said.
Her Excellency acknowledged that even now, the hardship continues.
“To say it’s ‘been tough’ would be an understatement ... We understand that you continue to live with it, but you do so with great courage and selflessness," Her Excellency said.
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