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The father of a family injured during a quad-bike accident in Whangateau has expressed his thanks to emergency services for their quick response to the accident.
He also mentioned the support from the wider community has left the family “blown away”.
Whangateau resident John McLean, his wife Paula and two daughters Jasmine and Delilah slid off slip-ravaged Ashton Rd down a steep muddy bank, sparking a major emergency service response.
Three of the four family members were hospitalised after the horror crash.
Paula needed to be extracted by a winch from a height of around 60m. She remains in a stable but critical condition in the hospital.
In a statement to the Herald, John McLean said he wanted to extend gratitude to the local emergency services that responded - police, firefighters and St John staff as well as the Westpac helicopter crew.
John McLean said the support from the wider community has left the family 'blown away'. Photo / Supplied
He also thanked the digger driver who helped during the incident.
The McLean family had been “well-involved” in the community and the incident had caused “shock and upset” among the locals, according to Rodney local board’s Ivan Wagstaff.
As it turned out, the community rallied around the family involved - leaving the McLeans deeply grateful.
“I am blown away by the support we’ve received,” said John.
“The road ahead is uncertain, but the number of people in our local community who have dropped everything to support us during this traumatic time, has been incredible.”
One local family, in particular, went above and beyond to wrap around the McLeans after the accident, John said.
“Their love, generosity and support mean the world to [the girls and I],” he said.
At this stage, the McLean family is fully focused on “the recovery and healing” of the wife and daughters. Over $23,000 has been raised for the family on a GiveALittle page.
Wagstaff said residents of Ashton Rd were one of many isolated communities on the end of roads requiring maintenance.
At this stage, the McLean family is fully focused on 'the recovery and healing' of the wife and daughters. Photo / Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
Northern Rodney had hundreds of gravel roads that needed constant repair and maintenance to a higher level.
“As a local board, we are trying to do what we can but we are reliant on council and government funding to address these underlying concerns,” said Wagstaff.
Wagstaff said he was not aware of residents using quad bikes to travel up and down the slip-ravaged road until this incident but “obviously that’s not an isolated situation, a lot of our roads have become impassable”.
“If people in our community need to get to places urgently they resort to different other ways to travel.”
However, Wagstaff said he wanted to reiterate people to not risk their lives doing so.
Since the severe weather events of recent months, the ward had communities blocked off in Leigh, Pakiri, Matakana and Warkworth.
“They were isolated in floods with many slips preventing people to get to critical services.”
When asked when the roads were expected to be fixed, Wagstaff said that was a question for Auckland Transport and Auckland Council.
“It could take two years if some budget is allocated in the recovery budget...remembering in that two years they need to also repair roads normally. We need a significantly increased budget to address the damage.”
