Kathryn Gloisten miraculously survived after a tree fell on her car near Taupō when Cyclone Gabrielle hit on Tuesday morning. Photo / Supplied
Kathryn Gloisten miraculously survived after a tree fell on her car near Taupō when Cyclone Gabrielle hit on Tuesday morning. Photo / Supplied
A passenger in a car struck by a falling tree during Tuesday’s cyclone has described an incredible story of survival thanks to the bravery of rescuers who clambered over fallen trees to reach them.
Khalid Linton, 22, described holding the hand of his partner Kathryn Gloistein, 21, while she was trapped in the driver’s seat with her back broken in two places and trees falling around them every few seconds.
“At one point she looked at me and said ‘I can’t feel my legs’ and she was struggling to breathe. She just said that she was scared.
“It was really gut-wrenching at that point. I just felt like she was close to dying. Her face was half-covered in blood from cuts to her head and nose. It was the scariest moment of my life. I am struggling to bring it up now.”
The drama started about 10.30pm on Monday when Khalid was called out to the Huka Prawn Park, north of Taupō, where he works as a marine scientist.
Strong winds had knocked out power to the farm, so he and workmate Cain Lingrell went to turn the back-up generators on, check the pumps and make sure the prawns were okay and at the right temperature.
By the time they had finished, the winds were gusting at over 130km/h and both entrances to the prawn park had been blocked by fallen trees.
“We didn’t feel safe staying there for the night so we called Kathryn and said ‘can you come and pick us up’.”
They walked up Keretoto Rd to Wairakei Dr – the wide main road to Taupō, where they thought they would be safe – and Kathryn picked them up.
Cain Lingrell stands on the tree that fell onto Kathryn's car. Photo / Supplied
It was about 12.30am, the wind was reaching its peak and they were crawling along at 40km/h when all hell broke loose.
“We heard a big snap up to our left and then the tree was all of a sudden in the ******* windscreen.
“From what I’ve seen it was the biggest tree in the region, just a freak accident – massive and scary.”
Cain was in the back seat and was able to open the door and get out. Khalid was able to get out through the back too. Both men were uninjured.
Kathryn was not so lucky. The tree had smashed down into the roof, forcing the roof down onto her head, shattering a vertebra in her neck and breaking another vertebra halfway down her back.
Branches came through the windows and she suffered four fractures in her left hand, lacerations to the top of her head, lacerations to her nose and a cut to an artery inside her nose.
Khalid Linton and Kathryn Gloistein. Photo / Supplied
They called emergency services but could not hear over the noise of the wind and breaking trees, and had to shout instructions about where they were.
It took Fire and Emergency NZ, Hato Hone St John Ambulance and a vehicle and rescuers from Greenlea Rescue Helicopter 45 minutes to wend their way through the falling trees, but they were still blocked from the scene by fallen trees 200-300m from the site, with more falling around them.
Kathryn was cut free and stretchered over trees to the waiting ambulance. When the wind died down enough to fly she was airlifted to Waikato Hospital for scans and then straight to Middlemore Hospital for six hours of emergency surgery.
“They put their lives in danger to come out and save her,” Khalid said.
“It was massive. The biggest thank you goes out to them and everyone who was involved, from helicopters transporting her to the surgeons, to the rescue team. Amazing help, awesome.”
The surgery went better than anyone could have hoped and he said surgeons believed she should make a full recovery —although it would be a long road.
She would likely be transferred to the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch. Linton has now joined her in Auckland.
She passed on a message via Linton to thank everyone for the support and help the couple had received, including from her workmates at Taupō Countdown.
