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Bus rescuer used hammer to free pupils crying for help

BBC A blue Ulsterbus lies on its side in a field. There are removal workers standing around wearing orange high visibility jackets and red removal truck is parked near the bus in the field. The damaged hedge can be seen in the foreground of the picture. BBC
The bus was being removed from the field on Tuesday morning

School children were crying and shouting for help after their double-decker bus overturned in a field in County Down on Monday, according to an eyewitness.

Gary Smyth described trying to kick in glass to help pupils out after the crash on Ballyblack Road East, near Carrowdore, on Monday.

The plasterer described taking a hammer from his work van and along with a colleague "lifted the glass and we climbed in, and we lifted the pupils out".

"It was like something out of a movie," he added.

'Absolutely in shock'

Gary Smyth Gary Smyth is wearing a white shirt and has dark brown hair. He is smiling at the camera.Gary Smyth
Gary Smyth described trying to kick in glass to help pupils out after the crash

The bus was carrying 43 school children, as well as the driver, from Strangford Integrated College to Bangor, when it crashed at about 15:45 BST.

Four of the pupils were treated in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"It just happened so quick," Mr Smyth said.

"It's just something you don’t want to see. Through the cracked glass, you could see the panic in their faces.

"They were crying and shouting for help, so we just attacked the glass like lunatics, and we got them out," he said.

"We didn’t want to splash too much glass because they couldn’t go too far back; there was that many of them on the bus," he said.

Pupils injured after school bus crash in County Down

Mr Smyth said it was hard to believe that no one was killed.

"I definitely thought as we were breaking in that we were going to be lifting something out, some limbs or something, somebody.

"I just couldn’t believe there were just cuts and bruises, and yes, I’m sure there are a load of sore backs, because they were all threw about the bus," he said.

"All you could see was your own kids’ faces," he said.

He said the driver was "absolutely in shock".

"There was a medic on the scene and he was more panicked about the driver because everyone was out, bar the wee fella who was trapped with his arm and the wee girl with her leg, she was trapped," he said.

Jonny Currie Five people standing in front of a caravan with arms round each other. On the left a child is wearing a black t-shirt with white graphic writing across it, they have brown hair. Next a man wearing glasses with short grey hair. he is wearing a denim shirt with a graphic t-shirt underneath and green shorts. Next a woman is wearing denim dungarees with a black t-shirt. she has grey hair tied up. next a child is wearing a large sweatshirt and has long blonde hair. Last a child is wearing a bright blue t-shirt and has curly hair, he is giving a thumbs up. Jonny Currie
Jonny Currie's daughters Edie (left) and Tilly (second right) were on the bus. Also pictured is Lisa Rea Currie and Linus Currie

One parent described trying to get to his daughters when he first heard about the crash.

Jonny Currie told BBC News NI: "It's never news you want to hear, especially when it's in bits and pieces so you're inclined to think the worse."

Mr Currie "had to leave the car and run for about a mile to the scene".

"It was quite surreal to arrive and see a huge double-decker bus on its side. The windows completely smashed to pieces and huge groups of people being seen to," he said.

"It was a very stressful scene," he said, going on to describe his "huge relief" when he finally reached his daughters.

"It'll be a while before they'll feel safe and confident enough to be on a school bus again."

His daughters are off school on Tuesday.

"I think they're processing the shock and the trauma... and they've got sore necks and sore backs."

Ms Foster is wearing navy suit with a blue and brown top. She has a blond bob and blue eyes. The walls behind her are blue.
Principal Clare Foster said the school is helping "support" the pupils

The school principal, Clare Foster, said it had been a difficult and distressing experience for the pupils the wider school community.

She said the school was working closely with the Education Authority, whose trained staff in critical incident response would be supporting parents and pupils.

Ms Foster also confirmed that teachers travelled on the bus with pupils this morning to "support" them and a team of counsellors went to the school today.

"We will be working with those young people and their families who maybe experiencing some trauma about getting back onto the school bus," she said.

Ms Foster said the pupils "are talking" about what happened, especially to their teachers, who they "tend to turn naturally to".

"Our young people have been talking through their experiences as they begin to process the trauma that they’ve been through," she added.

Strangford College pupil Dylan was sitting on the top deck of the bus when it crashed.

The MP for Strangford added pupils had been left traumatised after the crash.

Jim Shannon said the main focus was making sure the children affected were "alright".

He told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster on Tuesday the passengers were "like a stone in a box" and described it as a "miracle" that no one was killed.

He said he understood one of the pupils had a pelvic injury.

Map showing Millisle, Newtownards, Carrowdore, Bangor - Ballyblack Road Eat in the middle.
The bus was taking pupils from Strangford Integrated College to Bangor

'The safety of children'

The education minister said he was "thankful for small mercies" that no one was seriously hurt or killed.

"It is that what if question," Paul Givan said.

"It is a miracle we’re not dealing with a fatality today," the minister added.

Givan said "there will be time now for an investigation".

He continued he wants to know how many of the pupils were wearing seatbelts.

"This incident will be investigated. It will be reviewed, but I need do be assured that we are providing that safe travel in our schools for our pupils and their families," he added.

In a statement, the PSNI said paramedics treated and discharged 33 people at the scene.

On Tuesday, police said an investigation was under way to find out what happened and appealed for witnesses and those with information to come forward.

Firefighters used specialist cutting equipment to rescue two casualties from the bus.

Speaking to BBC News NI at Strangford College on Tuesday, Ulster Unionist Party Councillor Pete Wray said his emotions were of "relief and gratitude that everyone was okay and everyone responded so well".