Farmer hailed a hero after saving Aussies from burning car
Published: December 12, 2005
A farmer is being hailed a hero after he pulled two Australians from a crashed car near Dannevirke minutes before the vehicle exploded into a fireball.
Police said the couple would have burned to death were it not for Colin Russell.
Dannevirke bank worker David Curtis had also played a role in the rescue.
The car crashed on State Highway 2 near the Oringi freezing works about 8am yesterday after the male driver lost control, swerving across the path of the man who was about to become his rescuer.
The Australians’ car careered through a fence, across a paddock and into a tree.
A fire broke out beneath the bonnet, and Mr Russell worked quickly to pull the unconscious female passenger from the car as his daughter Lisa rang emergency services.
He then worked on freeing the driver, who was co”I don’t want to make a big deal about it,” Mr Russell told the Herald.
“I did it to save the people’s lives.
“It was just common sense. We did nothing we wouldn’t expect someone else to do for us in the same situation.”
Constable Wayne Churchhouse said if it wasn’t for those first people on the scene, the vehicle would have burst into flames and the couple in it would have died.
The 31-year-old woman passenger remained critically ill in hospital last night with head injuries.
The Square Trust rescue helicopter had flown her to Palmerston North Hospital.
The driver was taken to the same hospital by ambulance.
It is understood the couple were originally from New Zealand but now lived in Australia. nscious but suffering from a broken leg.
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