Seventy one school children from Vorentoe High School were travelling in a brightly coloured double-decker bus on March 27, 1985 when it veered off the road and into the Westdene Dam, killing 42 children and devastating a community.
By the time emergency services arrived on scene, members of the public were already in the water trying to get as many children to safety as possible. Thirty were rescued, including the bus driver Willem Horne.
Northcliff Melville Times spoke to two survivors, who asked not to be named, as they do not want any spotlight on them individually when this disaster affected so many. They were both 17 at the time. Below are their recollections of that fateful bus trip which they took every day.
Louise* was on the bus with her sister and friends. “We were all singing and I remember the bus was travelling a bit faster than normal. Suddenly, the bus swerved and went nose-first into the dam, which had no barrier to stop it. I remember clearly the loud screams and how one by one the voices were drowned out.”
She described swimming out of a back window and making it to the top of the bus which was covered by about 30cm of water. “I tried to go back for my sister and friends, but could see through the green water that they had died; they were pale and looked like mannequins.”
Louise was rescued on a board and taken to the dam wall where people helped her up and out of the dam. “I remember asking why some children were covered in blankets. I was told it was because they were cold.”
She describes her mother frantically calling out for her daughter that was never coming home.
Stefan* said, “I remember the crash and scrambling to swim out of the bus that went into the water at about 13:15. I only made it back home by about 16:00, but have no recollection of the hours in between, although I did have cuts on my legs. I remember the house was busy with people and there were so many upset people in our community. The heartbreak was indescribable. At school, it really hit home when our classrooms had so many missing friends. It was terrible.”
Both remember the funeral as a dignified, but extremely emotional day as they laid friends to rest. “I know many parents, siblings, relatives and friends of those who perished were never the same after that day. Our community was never the same,” said Stefan.
Louise added, “Thank you for keeping their memories alive and for ensuring this event and my sister are not forgotten.”
They and others the paper spoke to believe it was a tragic accident. A court later found no clear cause for the incident, and placed no blame on any party.
This year marks 38 years since the tragedy occurred, and we take this opportunity to remember those lost and to commiserate with those left behind.
*Not their real names.
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