Over 20 horses were swept away in floodwaters from Maudsland, near Oxenford, on Sunday morning after storms ravaged South East Queensland.

Peter Smith, whose rural property backs onto the Coomera River, went outside during the storms on Saturday and was shocked to see how fast the water had risen.

It was then that he and his son Tyler Smith noticed the horses and cattle floating past his backyard.

“We saw a couple of cows go past so we jumped out on our surf skis and went after them.” said the 23-year-old.

“Dad got one [horse] out... but I ended up being washed half-way down the river.”

Washed nearly a kilometre downstream, Tyler ended up in a lagoon where he continued to herd the animals to safety.  

Horse owner Russel Simes says the rising water levels took everyone by surprise, with devastating consequences.

“We’ve lost four horses...the local pony club have lost their horses...virtually all their yards, their feed sheds have all been washed away.”

Locals banded together moving the 15 surviving horses onto a property out of reach of the raging river.

Just minutes after one resident found her horse dead, she opened up her stable to horses needing shelter.

By Virginia Leighton-Jackson, guest author and student of Bond University's School of Journalism