Neck-deep in rising floodwaters to save his broodmares and newly weaned foals, Craig Ruttley feared the worst. But the principal of Glenthorne Park Thoroughbreds says he is one of the lucky ones among the devastation left by last month’s floods in the mid-north coast of NSW.
Soon after being woken in the middle of the night by his phone, Craig Ruttley turned on the surveillance cameras scanning his property that backs onto the Manning River, south of Taree.
Days of rain when more than 600mm fell between May 20 and May 23 had put the district on edge. Flood warnings are an accepted part of living in the area but a call Ruttley received from a concerned neighbour changed everything.
The river had burst its banks. Floodwaters were rising fast, and they needed somewhere to seek refuge.
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