Two tradies are being hailed as heroes for helping save some schoolchildren when their bus crashed after its driver suffered a medical episode and died.
Colby Bartels and Adam Smith were among the first at the tragic scene on Wandong Road, near Kilmore, north of Melbourne, shortly after 3.30pm on Wednesday.
The Assumption College school bus had about 32 students on board when it left the road and crashed into a tree.
speaking in The projectThe tradies, who had never met before the incident, explained how they set out to help the students trapped inside.
Smith said he was on his way home from work when he noticed the bus had gone through the barrier on the side of the road.
Tradies Adam Smith (left) and Colby Bartels (right) have been hailed heroes after rescuing children trapped in the crashed bus on Wednesday afternoon.
Maeve’s Assumption College bus (pictured) left the road and police believed the driver had a medical problem.
“My initial reaction was to just go and grab the ladder of my glass vehicle,” he said.
“(I) practically put him on the side of the bus, walked up to the window and broke the window to gain access to the inside of the bus.”
The carpenter said he then sent each child to Mr. Bartels.
‘(He) gave them a hand to get out of the window and down the stairs.’
Bartels said the students were shaken by the ordeal.
‘As you can imagine, they were quite shocked and tearful about the whole situation. “I can’t blame them for what they’ve been through.”
Bartels said when he first arrived, there was a woman on the scene who was trying to help the driver.
“When I got there (the bus driver) was unconscious,” Bartels said.
Gary MacDonald, 65 (pictured left) died in the crash and has been described as an exceptional human being.
The school bus driver (pictured) was described as a “generous soul” and has been remembered as a “lovely man” with the school community “grateful for the person he was”.
‘He wasn’t responding to us. I moved the door aside so she could get to him easier. When I did, everyone else started showing up, including Adam.
“We’re trying to figure out how to get on (the bus) and help the kids.”
Only some of the students suffered minor injuries and one suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The 65-year-old driver was identified as Gary MacDonald and is believed to have suffered a medical episode.
Assumption College principal Paul Finneran told the Herald Sun that MacDonald was a “generous soul” and an exceptional human being.
“He had a great relationship with the children, he was a lovely man,” she said.
“Last night I was talking to his family and the school community, everyone was so grateful for the person he was.”
Finnernan said the school has offered counseling to students “to process what happened.”
Victoria Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
