I had just popped into Riccarton Mall before going to collect my Daughter from Preschool. I was standing in a shop upstairs when it all started. I remember the shop girls and I just staring at each other in disbelief. Glass started smashing, people screaming. I sprinted to my car parked on the top carpark, I had to get to my children, I felt physically sick. I remember seeing a lady and I said to her “should we be up here?” she just stared at me. I tried to call my husband but couldn’t work my phone, it was like my brain was scrambled.
I managed to get to preschool within 15 mins, people on the road were fantastic, traffic lights were all down but people were very calm. Got my daughter and had made contact with my Husband who collected our other daughter from school. We were all home together within 2 hours. Amazing considering.
We took in 4 Aussies here for a conference, they were in the Convention Centre, Drs they were there with had worked on some of the amputations. We had power still, so sat in front of the television in shock, feeling helpless for the people trapped and in the worse affected areas.
My story is not so traumatic but this is my story.