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hero bus driver reunited with hammer attack victim

trentbarton driver Rachael Bullous (right) is reunited with a fully recovered Dirk Vervoorts

trentbarton driver Rachael Bullous (right) is reunited with a fully recovered Dirk Vervoorts

mainline driver Rachael Bullous has been reunited with the thankful victim of a hammer attack who she spotted covered in blood in Nottingham and rushed to help.

Rachael was driving her mainline bus from Bingham past Trent Bridge when she saw Dirk Vervoots who has just been attacked by a stranger using a hammer and pushed into the river.

Rachael, who drives mainline between Bingham, Radcliffe, West Bridgford and Nottingham, said: “I was driving back into town and noticed Dirk with his two dogs struggling on the side of the road. He was covered from head to toe in blood.

“People were just driving past him and no one seemed to be doing anything. I saw him stumbling across the road and I knew I had to get out and help, so I parked up the bus and explained the situation to my passengers.

“I got them a replacement bus and went over to help Dirk. As soon as I got to him he collapsed. He was bleeding from his head so I took my jumper off and wrapped it around his head and then we waited together until an ambulance arrived.”

Dirk, 48, who has Huntingdon’s Disease, was attacked in July and was reunited with his rescuer so he could say thanks and present Rachael with a bouquet.

Dirk's wife Jane said: “What Rachael did was so kind. She is such a lovely person. Dirk has taken all the good that people showed to stay positive. Rachael achieved a lot more than she thinks she did during the 40 minutes she was with Dirk.”

Jeff Counsell, managing director at trentbarton, said: “Our drivers are very much a part of the communities they serve and are trained to use their initiative and encouraged to act to help anyone in need. Rachael certainly lived up to that ideal.

“The fact that this incident happened off the bus, yet Rachael was alert and responded quickly, calmly and professionally with her first aid training, in what was a very distressing situation, means I can't commend Rachael enough and she deserves great credit for her actions.”