WITH predictions of stormy weather on the Gold Coast for the next few days a special rescue team at Robina is on high alert.

A swift-water rescue unit is on standby at the Robina station of Queensland Fire and Rescue as heavy and sporadic rain falls in the region.

South-east region’s rescue technical co-ordinator Scott Beasley said members of the unit were trained in swift-water, high-angle and confined-space rescues.

“We find that in this weather there is a serious risk of people being caught in drains,” Mr Beasley said.

“They want to play in the water and they don’t realise that they are walking on drains and then they get caught.

“People also tend to get caught on causeways on the way home from work.

“They take more risks going home.”

Mr Beasley said a lot of people did not understand the water’s power.

“It depends on the flow speed, but 30cm of water can move a car,” he said.

John Roberts has been a member of the unit for a decade and said there was always the risk his unit would be needed for a rescue regardless of the weather.

“It was a nice sunny day, and a woman had her leg caught in a drain at Canungra Creek,” he said

“She was there a few hours before we were called.

“We had to put a noose around her leg and knocked it out (dislocated the leg) before we could remove it from the drain.”

Mr Roberts said sometimes technical rescues were the most challenging.

“We get better and better equipment that requires us to learn new skills,” he said.

“And there is more on the way.

“They could have us jumping out of helicopters soon.”

Mr Beasley said these special rescue crews from the Gold Coast went to Christchurch after the earthquakes and to Grantham to help during the January floods.