New Zealand / Weather

Good samaritan delivered sand bags ahead of flooding

21:16 pm on 6 January 2018

A young adventurer has taken matters into his own hands to assist those along the Thames Coast Road.

Brando Yelavich used his truck to deliver sand to people so they could make sand bags before the storm came in. Photo: Supplied / Facebook

The road has been severely damaged in the storm and remains closed to the public.

Brando Yelavich, also known as Wildboy, is based in Hahei, but received a message on his Facebook page about residents in the area needing assistance.

"It was my day off, so I might as well go and help and drove my truck over the hill and filled it up with sand. The road was closed, but I knew my truck could get through, went and helped all the people that needed sand bags before the rest of the storm came in on the next high tide," he said.

After going out to help he posted this video on Facebook.

Mr Yelavich said he was helping out for more than four hours and easily filled 500 sandbags.

He said many people didn't think help was coming because the road was closed.

"They were fully over the moon and stoked when a big old army truck rocked up with a load of sand and the bags," he said.

He said he wasn't the only one coming to the aid of others.

"There's people ferrying people across on kayaks a little bit further along the coast, there's some pretty special people out there that are doing a lot in this time of need."

He said anyone was capable of helping out and encouraged people to go out and give their neighbours a hand.