Family’s extraordinary tale of survival

The family portrait hanging untouched on the wall of an otherwise demolished living room moves the Saul family to tears.

The close-knit family of six have only just returned to Matata to assess the damage to their home after spending the best part of a week holed up at the Whakatane Hall.

"I just can't believe it survived on just one little hook," dad Ian said.

"It's a bit of a sign I think - it's pretty amazing."

The Saul survival story is one of dozens from the flood-stricken area.

One minute, mum Rose was cooking dinner while her daughters Lacey, 16, and Kristel, 15, were looking after younger sister Amber, 10, who has cerebral palsy.

The next minute, the family home was shunted down toward the sea by a surging torrent. Their house shifted more than 300 metres in minutes.

"I just remember thinking 'I don't want my girls to die like this'," Mrs Saul said. "We got Amber on to the couch because it was floating and we were pushing her on that.

"We were trying not to hurt her because with the cerebral palsy she had just had two hip operations and she was really sensitive."

With her husband on his way home from work and son Graeme, 20, at a friend's house, it was up to Rose to get her three girls to safety.

"We had gone about 300 metres and I spotted another house nearby that was two storeys so I yelled at the girls: 'Here's our chance'. I had frantically been trying to get Ian and Graeme on their cellphones."

The family waited for the next surge to pass, then went out into the unknown, passing Amber in a line over boulders and logs.

"We were passing her between us trying not to hurt her. It was terrifying - I really thought we were all going to die," Mrs Saul said.

She broke into the house and they climbed to the attic where they stayed until help arrived.

"I told the fireman that I had broken into the house but he was like 'I don't think they will worry about that'."

They used the light of their cellphone to let Mr Saul and the fire rescue team know where they were.

"We were sitting there waving it because it was dark and no one knew we were there," Mrs Saul said.

Looking over the house, the family count their blessings and shriek with joy when they find belongings, caked in mud but still there.

With all they have lost, the only thing the family mourn is cat Larks.

"We haven't seen her since it happened," Lacey said. "I'm going to look for her tonight."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY