Grandparents thank Pilbara residents for kindness after crash
As strange as it might sound, John and Maureen Voorendt and their dog Buddy were lucky to find themselves hanging by their seatbelts last January in the wreckage of their Nissan four-wheel-drive 150km south of Port Hedland.
Moments before they had been involved in a terrifying crash after their caravan blew a tyre and spiralled out of control along the highway.
Despite the potential for tragedy, the South Australian couple came to a rest hanging sideways, but otherwise unhurt.
They were then doubly lucky because they were about to be swamped by incredible amounts of Pilbara kindness.
From McDonalds owner Luke Jessop to two Transpacific Industries employees and local St John Ambulance volunteers, a succession of Pilbara strangers rushed to the aid of the couple.
"I just wanted to let everyone know you have some really, really good people up there in the Pilbara," Mr Voorendt told the Telegraph.
"When we look at a newspaper or hear the news we hear about all the bad things, but, by geez, there are some good people in this world and they make everything better."
Mr Voorendt said the kindness was specially touching because it came in already tragic circumstances.
The Voorendt's had earlier cut short their caravanning holiday and were rushing to Darwin to support son Justin and his wife Pia through the funeral of 12-year-old granddaughter Chloe.
Chloe had suffered "terribly" from epilepsy her whole life.
"We think she is now free from that tortured little body she had to live in for 12 years, but it still didn't make it any easier when we lost her," Mr Voorendt said.
For the Voorendts, that meant they found themselves on that January day, stranded in the Pilbara desert with a crumpled car and caravan and very little time left to get to Darwin for their granddaughter's funeral.
Luckily, Pilbara strangers began helping them.
The Transpacific Industries employees, known only as Anthony and Kevin, were quickly on the scene and stayed with the couple for hours.
They gave them their phones to call loved ones, made the crash scene safe with traffic cones, and even booked pet-friendly accommodation in Hedland for Buddy.
Later the ambulance team not only transported the Voorendts to hospital but also gave them a lift to the hire car company because Buddy was not allowed to ride in a taxi.
The next day Luke Jessop ran into the couple at the vets where they were buying a dog carrier for Buddy to fly in and simply asked what he could do to help.
He is now looking after the Voorendts' belongings until they can be sent home to them in South Australia.
He said the couple were visibly upset and played down his assistance.
"All Luke (Jessop) could say to me was, 'look, John, if I didn't stop and help you, somebody else would have'," Mr Voorendt said.
"We can never thank them enough for the kindness and support they gave us. If that is the kind of people you have got over there, then … maybe we should move up to the Pilbara as well."
