Two tradies are being hailed as heroes for helping to save schoolchildren when their bus crashed after their 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, just after 3.30pm on Wednesday.
The Assumption College school bus was carrying about 32 students when it left the road and struck a tree.
Speaking The projectthe tradies, who had never met before the incident, explained how they were going to help the students who were stuck.
Mr Smith said he was on his way home from work when he noticed the bus had gone through the barrier at the side of the road.
Tradies Adam Smith (left) and Colby Bartels (right) are being hailed as heroes after rescuing trapped schoolchildren from the crashed bus on Wednesday afternoon
The Assumption College Maeve bus (pictured) veered off the road, with police believing the driver had suffered a medical episode
“My first reaction was just to grab my ladder out of my glass jar,” he said.
‘[I] “Put it pretty much on the side of the bus, go to the window and break the window to gain access to the inside of the bus.”
The carpenter said he then sent each child to Mr. Bartels.
‘[He] gave her a hand to get out of the window and down the ladder.’
Mr Bartels said the students were shocked by the ordeal.
‘As you can imagine, they were quite shocked and tearful by the whole situation. I can’t blame them for what they’ve been through.’
Mr Bartels said when he first arrived there was a woman on the scene who tried to help the driver.
“When I got there [the bus driver] was unconscious,” Mr 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 remembered as a ‘kind man’, with the school community ‘grateful for the person he was’
‘He didn’t respond to us. I moved the door aside so she could get to him more easily. By the time I did that, everyone else showed up, including Adam.
“We were trying to figure out how to move forward [the bus] and help the children.’
Only a few students suffered minor injuries and one had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The 65-year-old driver’s name is Gary MacDonald and it is believed he suffered a medical episode.
Paul Finneran, principal of Assumption College, told the Herald Sun that Mr MacDonald was a “generous soul” and an outstanding human being.
“He had a great relationship with the kids, he was such a nice man,” he said.
“I spoke to his family and the school community last night, everyone was so grateful for the person he was.”
Mr Finnernan said the school had offered students counseling “to come to terms with what happened”.
Victoria Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.