Community rallies after quad bike crash

faster, it’s Paula.”

They said John was doing an amazing job of caring for his girls, with a huge amount of help and support from many close friends.

Also speaking on June 1, John himself said he was grateful to local emergency services – fire, police and ambulance – as well as the digger driver who heard the crash and raised the alarm, and the Westpac rescue helicopter, who were all so quick to respond and help rescue the family.

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“I am blown away by the support we’ve received,” he said. “The road ahead is uncertain, but the number of people in our local community who have dropped everything to support us during this traumatic time has been incredible.”

And he wanted to add a particularly heartfelt thank you to one local family who had gone “above and beyond” to wrap themselves around the family since the accident and whose love, generosity and support meant the world to him and the girls.

He added he was now 100 per cent focused on the recovery and healing of his daughters and Paula.

The accident happened when the McLeans drove their quad bike down from their home at the top of Ashton Road to their car parked at the bottom, as there was no access for cars due to a long-standing slip and recent works to realign the road.

Ashton Road residents said the original underslip happened last July, then was made worse by the Auckland Anniversary floods, which caused a section of the road to be impassable for cars.

Since then, a number of residents have been leaving their cars at the bottom of the road and using quad bikes to get to and from their homes nearly a kilometre up the hill.

Auckland Transport said works to cut into and realign the road began on May 12 and would continue this week with the installation of soil nails to stabilise the bank below the affected section of road. Donations to help the McLeans can be made at: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/ mclean-family-assistance-followingquad-bike, https://www.mealtrain.com/ trains/e3l9k1 and for petrol only, to Gull Matakana, account number 03-04810045903-00, reference mclean, code 472.