By Jessica Micallef
Not all heroes wear capes – but Kade Anderson is definitely a hero in his dad’s eyes.
Gisborne resident Kade was presented with a Junior Triple Zero Hero award at Parliament House last month, for dialing triple zero after his dad, Grant Anderson was in a motorbike accident earlier this year.
Mr Anderson said he and his son were out for a motorbike ride in Ashbourne, on a track he had rode on many times before.
“It was a track that Kade was not familiar with,” he said.
“We’ve always had a bit of a plan. We don’t make a big deal out of it, but I always say ‘the phone’s in my backpack and if you need it you know where it is, the car keys are there if anyone needs it.’
“I had come around the corner and I hit a tree. I can’t remember anything after that, other than what Kade’s told me.”
Kade, 13, drove up to his dad to see him lying on the ground.
“I saw dad on the ground, I got next to him and rolled him over and got his phone out of his bag,” he said. “I took his bum bag off so he could lay flat and I called triple zero.
“I wasn’t panicking, but … I didn’t know what was going to happen.
“I had to go on Google Maps and read out the latitude and longitude and describe what it looked like on Google Maps.”
Mr Anderson said it was difficult for Kade to explain on the phone the exact the location he and his dad were in.
“He follows me so he doesn’t know where we are going,” he said.
“I knew where we were but I was unconscious and coming in and out of consciousness and not aware of even what had happened.
“I had blood coming out my nose and I was not in a great state for your kid to see, but he held himself pretty well, even on the phone call.”
Eventually, a nearby motorbike rider found the pair and drove them to the main road to where an ambulance was waiting.
He said it was extremely important for parents to teach their children what triple zero was and how to make the call.
“We’re humans just like they are and we’re not as resilient as we think we are, even though we think we are pretty bulletproof,” he said.
“I should’ve been the one that was making the call and looking after him but the tables turned pretty quickly.
“Kade’s always been a mature kid. It was a real proud moment to think he was getting recognition for some pretty amazing thing because as a parent, you don’t know how to thank them enough.”
