Further delays expected to remove snapped crane hovering over caravan park
More than 90 people will remain locked out of their Gold Coast campsite for almost a week after wild weather snapped a crane.
Storms lashed the region on Christmas Day, with a 'microburst' (an intense downdraft that occurs within thunderstorms) leaving a 30-tonne crane teetering over the top of Broadwater Tourist Park and multiple power lines damaged.
It forced the evacuation of dozens of campsites across the park, most of the visitors leaving with just the clothes on their backs.
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It could be days before holidaymakers are able to return to the Gold Coast site as winds hamper efforts to dismantle a crane at risk of collapse after wild weather. 9News
Engineers and police are working around the clock to remove the crane that threatens to drop at any moment.
"The whole crane is actually leaning now towards the north, which puts the whole northern section of the caravan park in danger," Peter Venz from Queensland Police said.
To remove the damaged crane, two more cranes have been brought in to dismantle it, but strong winds are continuing to hamper their efforts.
Today, police said their emergency declaration will remain in place until Tuesday, subject to weather conditions.
Regulations say the equipment needed to bring down the damaged crane can't operate in winds above 15km/hr.
Currently winds are around 30km/hr with stronger gusts at times.
Regulations say the equipment needed to bring down the damaged crane can't operate in winds above 15km/hr. Currently winds are around 30km/hr with stronger gusts at times. 9News
The exclusion zone encompasses an area from the Gold Coast Highway, North Street, Loders Creek and to the Broadwater.
It includes 36 campsites, leaving 91 people locked out.
They have been offered alternative accommodation.
The Broadwater Tourist Park said online that the storm "resembled worse than anything we saw during Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred".
People are still locked out of the caravan park as engineers and police work around the clock to remove the crane that could drop at any moment. 9News
Broncos legend Corey Parker and his radio personality wife, Margaux, were camping at the park with their family and lost some of their items.
"We've lost caravan awnings and gazebos, our car's been damaged, our caravan's been damaged, but you know we're all well and safe," Margaux said.
When the storm hit, mother and daughter, Elissa and Shayla, were hiding behind their car as a neighbour's boat came flying towards them.
When the storm hit, mother and daughter Elissa and Shayla were hiding behind their car as a neighbour's boat came flying towards them. 9News
"We hunkered down behind the wheel, my thinking was if the boat did come at us, we were safe behind the car," Elissa told 9News.
Shayla added: "There were poles flying everywhere, hitting us a bit, it was terrifying, so we just were like it's safer to get out of this kind of area."
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