Seconds from disaster

By Paul Dunlop
GEMBROOK school children on their way home from an excursion to Melbourne will remember last Tuesday’s crash as an exciting diversion.
But parents and teachers are thanking their lucky stars it wasn’t a disaster.
More than 100 students, staff and helpers from Gembrook Primary School spent a day in the city learning, ironically, about transport.
Mum Kelli SweetCollins, who had been on the school trip with daughter Alia, said they were only minutes from Pakenham when the train stopped.
“We had just stopped at Officer. After about 10 or 15 minutes the kids started to get a bit ratty.
“Then the driver announced there had been some sort of accident,” Ms SweetCollins said.
“We were helped off the train, everybody was fine but a few of us, especially the parents, were a bit freaked out.
“It’s scary to think what could have happened. Another 30 seconds and it could have been a disaster. Thank God it wasn’t like that.”
Ms SweetCollins said many of the parents waiting back at the station were ‘beside themselves’ as they waited for their children to return.
Fortunately, they were bused back without mishap.
“It was exciting for the kids and the SES and CFA and everybody did an awesome job making everybody feel okay,” Ms SweetCollins said.
Gembrook principal Mark Carver said despite the excitement it was quickly back to business as usual.
Classes were held as normal the following day. Mr Carver said children, staff and parents had handled the situation very well.
“Thank goodness for mobile phones,” he said.
“We were able to alert most of the parents to what was happening as soon as we heard of it.
“The school had about 10 phone calls from mums and dads wondering what was going on.
“For the kids, I think seeing the fire trucks was the highlight of the excursion,” Mr Carver said.
“It was very lucky but it ended well and the children coped extremely well.”