An Aussie family vacation has been saved thanks to a compassionate stranger who felt compelled to help the stranded travelers after learning about their plight on social media.
The Melrose family had been in the middle of a 4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) road trip across Australia last week when their car broke down in the middle of the Northern Territories.
Daryn Melrose, his wife, and two daughters had left their home in Gippsland with two boats in tow so they could compete in the national minnow sailing championships in Darwin.
Since the youngsters had spent all year training for the tournament, they were heartbroken over the idea that all of their efforts had been for naught – but with 620 miles standing between them and Darwin, it seemed as if they had no chance but to give up on their dreams of competing.
Upon learning about their dilemma, ABC News made a social media post with the hopes that one of their readers would feel spurred to help the Melrose family.
As fate would have it, Darwin resident Rodney Sims had been scrolling through his news feed when he saw the plea for help and recalled a time when he had been in the same predicament.
“About 30 years ago, strangely enough, I was in a similar situation with a broken-down car and someone helped me out … this was my time to give back,” Sims told ABC News.
Sims then hopped in his truck and drove all the way down to where the family was staying in a Tenant Creek motel. After hitching up their boats to his vehicle, he brought the Melroses all the way back to Darwin, amounting to a staggering 1,250-mile round-trip journey.
Needless to say, the Melroses were incredibly touched by the stranger’s act of kindness.
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“What a legend – what a fantastic effort,” Daryn told the news outlet. “He drove all the way down to us, hooked up the trailer, and drove us all the way back to Darwin.
“My daughters and I could not be more grateful for his efforts,” he added. “They got here on time and are hoping for podium finishes after their competitions.”
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