News

Good Samaritans clear road during storm

By Djembe Archibald

Jan 4, 2024

Helping out: Mitchell Bell, Connor Gooiker and Keynan Barns as they clear the road.

The storm had arrived, and they were in the thick of it, but ensuring the safety of others was top of mind for these three good Samaritans.

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Mitchell Bell, Connor Gooiker and Keynan Barns were driving between Shepparton and Bunbartha, and the wind was picking up.

“There were trees everywhere,” Ms Barns said.

“The storm hit us, and we decided to pull over and see if it would pass us; then it passed, and we kept going.

“There were two cars that pulled over because the tree had fallen over the whole road. We drove around it, as we had a 4x4, and pulled over on the other side, knowing we had a chainsaw in the back and knowing we could help them because the other cars were vulnerable.”

Nature’s in the way: Keynan Barns assesses the fallen tree.

The trio began cutting the huge tree occupying the road with the goal of ensuring safe passage to cars and trucks.

“We started cutting the tree and picking up branches to clear the path for others to travel safely,” Ms Barns said.

“We were glad everyone was safe.”

As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the October 2022 floods and the January 2 thunderstorm, the community comes together during times of crisis, ensuring everyone is safe.