Simon Barnett’s rescue
Dancing With the Stars winner and radio host Simon Barnett can consider himself a hero after pulling a woman from a wrecked car.
Barnett and his family were driving on State Highway 5, between Rotorua and Taupo, when a vehicle in front crashed with another vehicle.
The radio host, who was headed to his sister-in-law’s funeral, detailed the ordeal during his More FM radio show on Tuesday morning.
Barnett said he felt sure at least one of the drivers involved would have been killed.
‘‘I pull the car over and my heart is in my mouth,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m in panic mode, thinking ‘What the heck do I do?’ And then I hear screaming.’’
Barnett said he raced to the car and saw two children crying from their car seats in the back, the female driver looking up at him yelling, ‘‘I’m stuck, I’m stuck’’.
‘‘[The driver’s] seatbelt had locked in and the other car was wedged in on her side.
With no luck releasing the belt, Barnett ran to a waiting campervan, shouting to the driver to ‘‘get me a knife’’.
‘‘I ran back to the vehicle, jump in the car and cut through the seatbelt, released the woman from her vehicle.
Barnett said his experience had taught him to always be prepared because ‘‘you never know when this is going to happen to you’’.