Wayne Heneker recalls moment he pulled girl from burning wreckage on Pacific Motorway
A Gold Coast man recalls the moment he pulled a young girl from the burning wreckage of an allegedly stolen car containing five youths.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A man has recalled the moment he pulled a 14-year-old girl from the burning wreckage of an allegedly stolen car that had crashed on the Pacific Motorway this week.
Five youths were inside the vehicle that had clipped the back of a truck and slammed into a barrier at Gaven on the Gold Coast in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Wayne Heneker, a security guard, described pulling up to the “traumatising” and “horrific” scene.
“Straight away when I pulled up, there was a witness on the phone to emergency services and he just said to me ‘there’s dead people inside’,” he said.
Mr Heneker immediately made his way to the driver’s side of the vehicle to find a 12-year-old boy hanging from his seat convulsing.
He started providing first aide before an off-duty nurse – who has been hailed a hero – arrived to help.
It was at that moment, Mr Heneker heard the screams of a girl from the other side of the vehicle.
“The fire was engulfing the car, and I thought, god there is still life on the other side,” he said.
“The seat was folded forward and she were pinned underneath the dashboard, and front of the car was smashed all the way in.
“I reached in and said, come on, come on, you’ve got to go, you got to go.
“I was just thinking to myself, I don’t want to be standing here watching this girl burn.”
Mr Heneker managed to help the girl from the wreckage and dragged her to safety before paramedics took over.
“They got her over the barricade and assessed her, only a few feet away from the nurse conducting CPR on the driver,” he said.
Mr Heneker said he was shocked they had managed to get the driver out.
“They did a really good job getting the driver out, because he was definitely jammed in.”
He said the incident was horrific, with three other youths were in the back seat covered in blood screaming “get me out”.
Four of the youths are recovering in hospital while the alleged driver, a 12-year-old boy, remains in a coma.
Mr Heneker said the incident highlighted how one poor decision could change a life.
“I’m speaking out to highlight to young criminals, just don’t do it,” he said.
“This is where it’s going to end up.
“You could be in hospital, or worse.”
Mr Heneker praised the off-duty nurse, witnesses who stepped in to help and emergency service personnel who responded to the horrific crash.
“The people that arrived and assisted helped me immensely from getting the girl away from the car and over the barricade,” he said.
“The way that everyone worked together until the emergency services arrived was really amazing.
“And of course the emergency services do such an amazing job.”
Named: Brisbane basketball coach charged with child grooming, rape
A Brisbane basketball coach has been charged with grooming and raping a child over a number of years.
Woman charged over alleged ‘horrific’ torture of four-year-old girl
A woman has been charged with the alleged torture of a four-year-old at Logan over an extend period, with a senior cop describing the little girl’s injuries as ‘horrific’.