STAFF at the Shoalhaven Caravan Village at Terara raised the alarm about a man missing on Pig Island in the middle of the Shoalhaven River during this week's flood emergency after he hadn't been seen for "four or five days".
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Fiona Austin, who runs the park, said they were concerned about the man who "often uses their facilities"
"We hadn't seen him in four or five days and were a bit worried about him," she said.
"He would paddle across the river every couple of days and use our showers etc.
"But when we hadn't seen him by lunchtime Tuesday we raised the alarm.
"One of his mates from the park paddled over to the island and discovered his campsite was completely flooded."
A missing persons report was made and as luck would have it, as officers from the South Coast Police District at Nowra were standing on the bank of the Shoalhaven River talking with park staff a NSW Water Police launch, which was out on the water for the flood emergency, appeared.
"We fluked it really," Ms Austin said.
The vessel was used to take officers, including Police Rescue personnel, to the island to try and find the man.
The 68-year-old man, who suffers from a variety of medical conditions, had made his way to higher ground and was found sheltering near one of the structures on the island.
Due to his condition and the conditions of the island it was decided to airlift him to the mainland, with a NSW Rural Fire Service helicopter that was in the area undertaking work in the flood emergency for the SES, taking him to the mainland before he was taken to Shoalhaven District Hospital.
"His mate, who saw him said he was pretty crook," Ms Austin said.
"He hadn't eaten anything for four days and apparently had had no clean water, all he'd been able to drink was muddy flood water.
"He's been around for a number of years. A bit of a loner really.
"We've had a few conversations with him over that time and seemed pretty well educated.
"We'd have a chat whenever we'd see him. He had some good stories.
"We're just glad he was found and despite his ordeal appeared alright."
It is understood he was originally living on a wooden boat on the river which was destroyed by fire.