Mums speak of petrifying dash to Victorian school gates after hoax threat

PARENTS have told of the petrifying dash to 10 Victorian schools with thousands of students evacuated here an NSW amid a chilling bomb hoax.  

Berwick Chase Primary School evacuated after a suspected bomb threat. Picture: Alex Coppel.

• School evacuated after hoax threat

IN the rush hour yesterday morning, mums and dads ­despaired at the mundane logistics of trying to get their children off to school in wet and miserable weather.

By afternoon, parents at 10 Victorian schools were hugging each other with relief at having safely negotiated a far more stressful situation.

Word of the bomb threats spread like wildfire through social media or texts.

Seven NSW schools also receiving a computerised bomb threat that warned of “a bloodbath in 40 minutes”.

NATIONAL SCARE: Bomb threat empties schools

At first, some mums and dads thought it must be a practice drill. A prank. Perhaps a high school student thought it would be funny to force a school into lockdown.

The time lapse between being told of the “bomb” and seeing her children was terrifying, said Kristina Dodevski, mum of two pupils at Berwick Lodge Primary in Melbourne’s outer southeast.

Yesterday was the first day back for Kalina, 8, in grade 3 and Lillyana, 6, in grade 1, and Mrs Dodevski had taken the day off specially.

About 12.15pm she glanced at a text that left her cold. School had been evacuated, “bomb threat” it said. “The children are safe but need to be collected ASAP.”

Ten Victorian schools were evacuated. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Parents wait to collect their children from Aitken Creek Primary School. Picture: Kylie Else

“It was petrifying,” Ms ­Dodevski said. “I can’t even explain the feeling. I grabbed the keys and was out the door. I was shaking.”

Outside the school, the street was jammed with parked cars, including two police vehicles with lights flashing.

Ms Dodevski joined other mums and dads sprinting down the road towards the reserve where children and teachers had gathered.

Then she saw her girls and noticed children were singing with their teachers and she felt nothing but pure relief.

Her children were safe. Compared with the urgency on the street, the reserve was a haven of calm.

When the school received the threat call — this one was not computerised — a staff member asked the caller to identify himself. The caller said: “That doesn’t matter. You don’t have much time.”

Aitken Creek Primary school in Craigieburn was evacuated today after phone threats. Picture: Kylie Else

Principal Henry Grossek said police took the call to the school more seriously as it was a real voice.

“The next 30 seconds after the call, myself and the other staff just froze. We then quickly moved into the evacuation procedure,” he said.

“I’m not sure it will be a one-off,” he added, believing the clear aim was to “spread fear in schools”.

At Aitken Creek Primary in Craigieburn in Melbourne’s north, which received an automated call, mum Amanda Renda gave a sigh of relief as she walked out that school’s gates holding her son’s hand.

“I got him back,” she said smiling. The children had been protected from the truth. They were told the bomb scare was just a fire drill.

“The kids were fine. They didn’t know what was going on. Still, it’s quite terrifying.”

Principal Peter Katsikapis said a call came through at 11.45am, which prompted the school’s emergency management plan. “There was a threat over the phone and we took it seriously.”

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