Father and son rescued after companions walked 12 hours through outback for help

A father and his 10-year-old son were rescued from the roof of their bogged ute in flooded north-west Queensland after their three companions walked 50 kilometres to get help.

The ute became stuck west of Mount Isa on Sunday evening and the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter reached the stranded man and boy on Monday evening, just before last light.

While Mount Isa itself has only recorded 10 millimetres of rain in the past few days, Cloncurry, 120 kilometres to the east, received 74 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday.

After becoming bogged late on Sunday, the five occupants spent the night in the ute before three of them set off on their 50-kilometre walk to Mount Isa for help, according to RACQ LifeFlight Rescue.