How hero neighbours bravely tried to save family from flames’ clutches
Brave bystanders on the scene when the horrific Camp Hill tragedy unfolded have told of their desperate attempts to save Brisbane mother Hannah Baxter and her three children from the clutches of the flames that engulfed her SUV.
QLD News
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As the morning sun peered over the million-dollar homes on Raven Street, the smell of petrol hung in the air.
Seconds later, a car explosion would send shrapnel tens of metres.
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The flames were so intense they singed the faces of anyone within 20 metres of the carnage.
A neighbour washing his car metres away became a hero – throwing his bucket of water over the woman stumbling from the wreckage and screaming in agony.
Fellow neighbours in the idilidic Brisbane street would join him in attempting to save the woman’s life, using their garden hoses to help ease her suffering.
The hero, known only as Michael, would need hospital treatment himself for minor burns he suffered while trying to save Hannah Baxter.
“She was awake and conscious and completely aware of what had happened,” one witness said.
Another courageous man was taken to hospital with significant burns after he made attempts to help free the three children trapped inside the burning vehicle.
That man was a tradie who had been working on a job site at adjoining Pryde Street when he saw dark smoke billowing above the houses.
As Mrs Baxter clung to life last night, neighbours were left to ponder what they had witnessed, which unfolded just metres from a primary school and daycare centre.
There was an air of disbelief. Tragedy had come to the street in the most unimaginable way.
“I was lying in bed and I heard a loud bang, the house sort of vibrated like something hit my roof,” one neighbour told The Courier-Mail.
“Then there was this smell, I can’t quite explain it, but it was terrible and it lingered around.
“Flames were so high in the air, it was absolutely unbelievable, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Murray Campbell, who lives on Raven Street, heard the tragedy unfolding before racing out to see what had happened.
“Lots of neighbours came out and there were lots of people on the street,” he said.
All of them no doubt wondering how the tiny community could move on from this.
As specialist police and detectives swarmed the once quiet suburban block, Camp Hill residents from hundreds of metres away walked to the scene to catch a glimpse of the unfathomable horror that made national headlines.
Others tried to go about their days – doing home renovations or taking the dog for a walk.
But they were interrupted by detectives looking for clues, or police drones capturing the scene from above.
Beyond the police tape, the charred remains of the SUV where the family had sat together one last time before the explosion remained in plain view.
Parked crooked against the kerb under an orange tarp, smears of ash across the chassis gave an insight into just how hot the inferno must have been.
In the afternoon, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner along with his wife Nina and local Councillor for Coorparoo Ward Fiona Cunningham visited the street.
They sobbed as they left three teddy bears and bunches of flowers at the scene - one that will be seared into the memories of Queenslanders for years to come.
Hannah Baxter’s sister-in-law has started a fundraiser to cover funeral costs. You can donate here.
Originally published as How hero neighbours bravely tried to save family from flames’ clutches
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