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After surviving a terrible vehicle accident in which their parents perished, three young Australian children endured 55 grueling hours in sweltering heat before being rescued.
Just a few kilometers from their Kondinin home in Western Australia, parents Cindy Braddock, 25, and Jake Day, 28, were murdered on Christmas Day when their Land Rover overturned on Corrigin-Kondinin Road, according to the local ABC.
Children of the couple, a 5-year-old girl, a 2-year-old boy, and a 1-year-old boy, survived the tragic disaster but were forced to spend 55 hours beneath the rubble in 86-degree weather.
The brave child succeeded in removing her 1-year-old brother’s seatbelt and freeing him from the car seat, saving the boy’s life, according to the family.
After the collision, more than two days passed with their 2-year-old brother still restrained in his seat.
The family, who had left Northam, which is around 50 miles east of Perth, and were on their way home, was reported missing after they missed a Christmas celebration.
Before starting their tragic drive, the family had stopped at a gas station in Northam to fill up and buy snacks, an attendant there informed ABC.
Nathan O’Donnell quoted Day as saying, “He told me he was going to Kondinin and that it was a couple of hours trip.”
“He appeared worn out… He skipped the coffee shop. After that, I said him farewell and wished him luck on his lengthy travel. Sadly, he never succeeded,” the worker remarked.
Helen Braddock, Cindy’s sister, placed a request for assistance on Facebook after they failed to appear.
Cindy Braddock and Jake Day left Northam on Christmas Day for Kondinin, but they haven’t returned home and haven’t been in touch with anyone since. “Has anyone seen Jake Day or Cindy Braddock since Christmas Day?” she said.
The children were severely dehydrated when family friends finally discovered the disaster, and they were airlifted to Perth Children’s Hospital, where their condition is described as stable.
According to Day’s cousin Michael Read, the orphaned kids were waiting for assistance next to their deceased parents in the hot car.
“The three kids would have found it difficult to spend so much time in the automobile. Nobody knows what they endured,” he reportedly said, as reported by ABC.
And the one-year-old wouldn’t be here today if the five-year-old hadn’t undone the car seat’s buckle, according to Read. However, every child is doing well. Within the next few days, they ought to be gone.
Local MP Darren Pool said the tragedy has left the community in shock.
Being so close to town, he complained, “yet no one had spotted it,” according to The Guardian. It has been passed by vehicles for a few days. That’s probably what shocked me the most.
Read pondered what lay ahead for the unfortunate children.
He admitted to ABC that it was difficult for his three children to grow up without anyone other than his immediate relatives. “At the moment, we’re moving slowly.”
If a driver feels fatigued while driving, he or she should pull over and take a break.
Know your body’s limits, and avoid driving while fatigued, said Read. “Spend the night at a family’s residence if you are going to wish to be elsewhere. It isn’t worthwhile.
A GoFundMe page for the family has nearly raised $73,000.
Sadly, Jake and Cindy did not survive the accident, however organizers Casey Guyer and Kailee Wallace claimed that “an angel was watching over the kids as it was a wonder their beautiful babies survived for nearly two days in Australian outback before being rescued.”
They said, “The kids are all doing okay considering the circumstances and are currently in the hospital with family.
»Australian kids survive 55 hours in wrecked SUV with dead parents«