The weeks leading to the biggest event of your life i.e. the wedding are always a mix of countless emotions. But what this Australian bride experienced on the early morning of her big day is quite unheard of. Kate Fotheringham told her fiance that she wouldn’t be late for their nuptial ceremony. But little did she have a clue of an impending natural disaster that washed away her elaborate plans. A once-in-a-century flood left her trapped at her parent’s home and apart from her soon-to-be spouse, Wayne Bell.
Kate woke up on Saturday morning to find floodwaters on the New South Wales mid-north coast outside the regional town of Wingham. Soon after, she realised that the deluge had submerged the only bridge in the town where she and Wayne were expected to exchange wedding vows at 3 pm. It was a nightmare for Kate as things seemed quite uncertain after heavy rainfalls gutted the Australian region.
After a sleepless night, Kate woke at dawn and saw mist surrounding the property and with daylight, the picture became clearer.
Kate told The Guardian, “It took three months to plan the wedding, 12 hours for it to go to hell and six hours for it to come together again. I had accepted the fact it was going to be raining and I was wearing gumboots, but I didn’t know how I was going to deal with a one-in-a-hundred-year flood and a natural disaster.”
Though the uncertainty of the situation left Kate and Wayne feeling low, the couple soon sprang to action to devise a new plan to make it happen. There were a lot of ideas exchanged for Kate to reach the wedding venue. Finally, they zeroed in on an airlift plan. A helicopter picked her up and dropped her 5 kms away from the venue. The ceremony finally took place as Kate walked down the aisle only 15 minutes late. With the guests confined due to the floods, the reception was better than expected.
An elated Kate took to her Twitter handle to share an update of her story with the world.
Update, I made it to the church and married the love of my life! Affinity Helicopters in Port Macquarie came to the rescue and made sure we all got there. This is the bridge that blocked us from making the 5minute drive into town! What a day! #fotherbellwedding #floodwingham pic.twitter.com/u7OlsFsTjQ— Kate Fotheringham (@KatelFog) March 22, 2021
It is also worth noting that military jet skis, helicopters and rubber boats were deployed to rescue citizens stranded by the massive floods along the country’s populous east coast with thousands of homes damaged. Australian authorities evacuated over 18,000 people in New South Wales. PM Scott Morrison has announced that the government has activated disaster relief for the flood-affected NSW residents.
Keywords: