Three young Australian children survived a horrific automobile accident that killed their parents after which spent 55 harrowing hours in extreme heat before being rescued.
Parents Cindy Braddock, 25, and Jake Day, 28, died on Christmas Day when their Land Rover overturned on the Corrigin-Kondinin road just just a few miles from their home in Kondinin, Western Australia. local ABC reported.
The couple’s children – a 5-year-old girl, a 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy – survived the terrible disaster, but had to endure 55 hours in the wreckage in 86-degree weather.
The heroic girl managed to unfasten her one-year-old brother’s seat belt and free him from the automobile seat – which, according to the family, probably saved his life.
Their 2-year-old brother remained strapped in his automobile seat for greater than two days after the crash.
The family was reported missing after they failed to make it to the Christmas celebration after leaving Northam, about 50 miles east of Perth, and heading home.
![Cindy Braddock and Jake Day were killed after their car overturned a few miles from their home in Kondinin, Australia on Christmas Day.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/jake-cindy-221229-fb-11.jpg?w=1024)
A gas station attendant in Northam told ABC the family stopped to refuel and buy snacks before embarking on their ill-fated journey.
“He told me he was going to Kondinin and that it was a few hours drive,” said Nathan O’Donnell, referring to Day.
“He looked exhausted…he hadn’t bought coffee. Then he left. I told him, “Good luck on the long drive.” Unfortunately, he never succeeded,” said the worker.
Once they never showed up, Cindy’s sister Helen Braddock posted a message on Facebook asking for help.
![The couple's 5-year-old daughter, 2-year-old son and 1-year-old son are stuck in a crashed Land Rover in 86-degree weather.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/jake-cindy-221229-77.jpg?w=1024)
“Has anyone seen Jake Day or Cindy Braddock since Christmas once they left Northam to go to Kondinin but didn’t return home and have not made contact with anyone since,” she wrote.
When family friends finally found the wreckage, the children suffered from extreme dehydration and were taken to Perth Kid’s Hospital where they’re in stable condition.
Day’s cousin Michael Read told reporters that the orphaned children were waiting for help in a stuffy vehicle next to their dead parents.
“It might be hard for 3 kids to sit in the automobile all that point. No one knows what they have been through,” he told ABC.
“And if the 5-year-old hadn’t unbuckled the 1-year-old’s automobile seat, he would not be with us today,” Read said. “But all of the children are tremendous. They must be out in the next few days.
![The family was on its way to Christmas before it crashed.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/australia-crash.jpg?w=576)
Local politician Darren Pool said residents were shocked by the tragedy.
“Being so close to town and nobody noticed,” he said, Guardian reported. “People have been driving past it for days. That is probably the largest shock for me.”
Read wondered concerning the way forward for the tragic little ones.
“It’s hard having three kids growing up with nobody but other members of the family,” he told ABC. “Straight away we’re going piece by piece.”
He urged drivers to stop and rest in the event that they feel drained behind the wheel.
“Know your body limits, don’t ride drained,” said Read. “Should you want to be somewhere, stay the night with a family. It is not value it.”
The GoFundMe page raised nearly $73,000 for the family.
“Devastingly, Jake and Cindy didn’t survive the accident, but an angel sorted the children because it is a miracle that their beautiful children survived over two days in the Australian outback before being rescued,” wrote organizers Casey Guyer and Kailee Wallace.
“The children are currently in the hospital with their family and all is well under the circumstances,” they added.