Kate Fotheringham had promised her fiance she would not be late to their wedding, but what she did not account for while making that promise was a deluge of rain falling overnight and leading to catastrophic floods along Australia's populous east coast.
On Saturday morning, Ms Fotheringham woke up to see that rising floodwater had her trapped inside her parents' home just outside the town of Wingham in New South Wales, reports Yahoo News.
It became clear very quickly that the bride-to-be would not be able to reach the wedding venue with floodwater rising around her. Determined not to let the natural disaster ruin her wedding, Ms Fotheringham, a former journalist, asked for help on Twitter.
"It's my wedding day and we're flooded in! We need help to get to Wingham over the flooded creek. Anyone know someone willing to help?" she wrote.
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
"I did have a bit of a meltdown - a bit of a cry - and said this just wasn't funny anymore. This just sucks. Then I think I also said: we're just going to have deal with this,'" Ms Fotheringham told The Guardian.
Luckily for her, help came in the form of an to airlift her to the wedding venue. A local TV station rang up and offered to rescue her via helicopter - something which the worried bride was only too happy to accept. Not long afterwards, a helicopter from a company called Affinity Helicopters reached her house.
Dressed in her wedding gown, the bride flew over the flooded creek and managed to land in Wingham. "Wayne rang and said you have to be ready in 50 minutes," she said, referring to her fiance, Wayne Bell. "We were waiting out the front for the helicopter. We took off and flew less than 5km and Justin, the pilot, dropped us off in the circle of Wingham Showground."
Although she arrived safely, there were other complications in store for Ms Fotheringham. Due to the severe flooding, her caterer, makeup artist and wedding singer were all stuck in different areas.
Miraculously enough, another catering company, which could not make it to another wedding, offered to cater theirs. The wedding party did their own makeup and in the end, Ms Fotheringham arrived at the ceremony only 15 minutes late.
"I made it to the church and married the love of my life!" she wrote on Twitter, sharing a picture that has now gone viral.
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
The photograph has collected thousands of 'likes' and congratulatory messages from Twitter users who were following the bride's story and breathed a sigh of relief after the wedding.
"Congratulations Kate and Wayne. A wonderful story from so much devastation. May you both enjoy a very happy marriage from here on," wrote one Twitter user.
"What a great outcome and photo for the generations to come to marvel at," another said.
According to news agency AFP, military helicopters, jet skis and rubber boats were deployed to rescue people stranded by "catastrophic" floods along Australia's populous east coast on Tuesday, with thousands of homes damaged.
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