‘A faint call for help’: remarkable stories emerge from NSW flood rescues

Residents of the RSL LifeCare aged care centre on McKenzie Street, Lismore are rescued from rising flood waters. Photograph: Billy Curry

When Billy Curry arrived by boat at McKenzie Street, Lismore on Monday, he saw what he described as “a bad dream”.

What was once a suburban street had turned into a river, its current rapid and the waters brown and deep. While emergency crews in hi-vis gear crewed boats, waves lapped at treetops and powerlines.