Search launched for missing man as Maryborough residents begin to assess flood damage – ABC News

Man's body found as Maryborough residents begin to assess flood damage
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Emergency crews have found the body of a 52-year-old man who went missing after entering floodwaters while searching for stock in Queensland's Fraser Coast region.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the man and his family were looking for stock in the Tiaro area, when he was swept away.
The man's body was located this afternoon.
Two other people he was with are safe.
"Can I please ask do not go into flooded waters, do not cross those flooded causeways at all," Commissioner Carroll said.
"Tragedy can strike at anytime."
Authorities are also still searching for a 14-year-old girl who was swept away in floodwaters near Gympie on Saturday.
About 650 millimetres of rain fell in the Maryborough area in less than 24 hours, causing widespread flooding across the region.
An emergency declaration made by police under the Public Safety Preservation Act has now been revoked for the Maryborough CBD, as the recovery operation continues.
Queensland police said a number of roads remained closed and people were encouraged to stay away from flood-affected areas.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced the former governor Paul de Jersey would be appointed the disaster recovery coordinator for the region.
The owners of a popular Maryborough restaurant that was inundated with floodwaters have made the difficult decision to close permanently.
The Deck and Anchor, which sits on the Mary River, was swamped when floodwaters tore through the region over the weekend.
At the peak, the water was above the roof line of the venue.
Owners Billie Sweet and Phil Roberts said the financial pressure of trying to repair the restaurant was too much to comprehend.
"At this stage, we're probably not going to reopen, that's going to be disappointing to some," Mr Roberts said.
"The financial costs it'll cost us to restock the restaurant, put it all back together, at this stage, it's not financially viable.
"So we've made the hard decision at this stage, we're not going to reopen."
Ms Sweet said they managed to get most of their equipment out of the restaurant before the floods hit, with the help of family and friends.
But the couple was still waiting for the floodwaters to recede, to gauge the extent of the damage.
"The whole building went under," Ms Sweet said.
"It was a bit heartbreaking actually, we got everything out and stood there on the deck and just looked out and thought, oh my God, it's going to go under," she said.
"The debris that was coming through the river was amazing to watch, very scary, but we're just grateful we got out in time.
"There are also houses that have gone under, so there are some people that have lost everything up here, which is really, really sad to see.
"We know it can happen, but this one came a lot quicker than previous floods."
Mr Roberts said the business had already been struggling with staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maryborough resident Rob Edgeworth returned to his flooded home this morning and said he expected less damage.
"It's an awful mess," he said.
"I knew it'd be a bit of a mess, but it's just, yuck, the mud is the worst part.
"Everything's upside down, the fridge is on its side.
"If we hose it out, it may come good."
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Mr Edgeworth estimated a metre of water came through his house, but he was not insured for flood damage.
"Couldn't afford it," he said.
"At the moment [the house] is a real obstacle course.
"I'll just have to dump some stuff that I should have dumped years ago."
The Bureau of Meteorology said there was still moderate to major flooding across the Mary River catchment, but the river levels were easing.
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