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Three young children who survived a horrific Christmas Day accident that killed their parents have returned home to grieving relatives.
Jake Day, 28, and Cindy Braddock, 25, were killed when their Land Rover Discovery overturned on an isolated road near the western Australian town of Kondinin, 279km east of Perth, earlier in the day Christmas, just 10 km from his house.
Synthia, 5, Bevan, 2, and Charlez, 1, were trapped alone in the vehicle for 55 hours in temperatures of over 30°C waiting for help until family friends finally found the remains on December 27.
Synthia has been hailed as a hero after relatives revealed that the girl unbuckled her baby brother from the car seat, saving his life.
The children were treated for cuts, bruises and dehydration before being airlifted to Perth Children’s Hospital, where they spent five days before being given the go-ahead to leave.
Synthia, 5, Bevan, 2, and Charlez, 1, returned home a week after a terrible accident that killed their parents.
They smiled and squealed with delight as they played in a park in Perth on Saturday.
They returned home to Kondinin the next day to finally open the gifts from Santa that were waiting for them under the Christmas tree.
They will live with their grandmother Annette Day, an orderly at the local hospital.
“The next goal is to continue caring for the children,” Day’s stepfather, Richard Parker, told Seven News.
The children seem to be doing well, despite their ordeal.
‘[They are] Full of life, he jumped into the car, thought we might have had trouble getting one or two of them into their seats, but they went right in,” Parker told Nine News.
“I’ll most likely end up moving there as well just for support and we’ll go from there.”
Cindy Braddock and Jack Day died during the accident. Image: Facebook
He also paid a heartbreaking tribute to the victims of the accident when he delivered an emotional speech.
Jake would do anything for those three kids. Cindy was the same. It was hard to get the kids away from them,” Parker added.
The family also thanked Australians for their support with nearly $140,000 raised for the orphaned children.
Mr. Day’s cousin, Casey Guyer, provided an update on the fundraising page last Friday.
‘I have gone to visit the children and I cannot overcome their strength. Three beautiful beautiful children who are so special and strong,” she wrote.
‘We can’t thank everyone enough for their donations, it’s overwhelming.
“And thank you all so much for respecting the privacy of the families during this extremely difficult time.”
Discovered by family friends at the crash site after 55 hours in 30 degree heat at the crash site, the first words uttered by the brave Synthia were, “Nanny will take care of us now.”
“She’s amazing, her brother wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her and he loves his nanny,” her friend Kailee Wallace told The West Australian.
The children were stranded in the rubble for 55 hours. Image: Supplied
The children were stranded in the rubble for 55 hours. Image: Supplied
Her bravery is the reason she and her little brothers are alive today.
“The five-year-old boy got unstuck from the vehicle and then he pulled the one-year-old out of the car seat, then they were trapped in the car for the 55 hours in 30-degree heat,” Day’s cousin Michael said. Read said.
It would have been difficult for the three children to be in the car all that time. Nobody knows what they went through.
“And if it weren’t for the five-year-old unbuckling the one-year-old’s car seat, he wouldn’t be with us today.”