Australia floods: Mother Jane Sheahan dies protecting son, 7, in Queensland It was not clear what prompted Ms Sheahan to drive near the floodwaters, though her family rejected a newspaper report that she had been transporting sandbags to help neighbours protect their homes. "My sister would never have done anything like that, she would never ever risk her children in any way," her brother, John Simon, said today. The newspaper, The Sunday Mail, has stood by the report. A year after floods ravaged Queensland, killing dozens and causing billions of dollars in damage, the state has again been struck by widespread flooding. Air force planes and helicopters have been helping to shuttle stranded residents and airlift hospital patients. The residents of the inland town of St George have been ordered to leave and are anxiously waiting to see whether levees will hold out against the fast-moving waters. The Balonne River which passes by the town was due to peak at up to 14.5 metres, a metre higher than last year's level. In scenes reminiscent of last year's floods, thousands of people have been evacuated to makeshift shelters in Brisbane and larger towns