Home FleetWatch-2013 Isuzu Truck supports ‘Saints of the Hill’

Isuzu Truck supports ‘Saints of the Hill’

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The brain of the updated construction version of the I-Shift gearbox lies on top. It’s small but powerful.

Hats off to Isuzu Trucks for donating the proceeds raised from its annual golf day to Community Medical Services (CMS) run by Philip Hull. A cheque for R75 000 was handed over to CMS to enable them to continue the fine work they do in the road safety arena.

Speaking at the prize giving, Lisa van Aswegen, customer care & marketing manager of Isuzu Truck South Africa, praised Hull and his team of volunteers for rendering help to motorists and truckers in the Van Reenen area during peak traffic periods , and for doing so for the past 30 years.

Van Aswegen said they have been called the ‘˜Saints of the Hill’ , and rightfully so. Working in all weather conditions, these ‘˜Saints’ have saved hundreds of lives and helped countless numbers of stranded motorists and truckers.

As an indication of the life-saving work they do, last year heavy snowfall on the pass saw many motorists and truckers trapped in the snow. Philip and his colleague Barry Niemand worked in freezing, wet and miserable conditions throughout the night and the following two days rescuing the motorists from the pass using their own vehicles.

Between Philip and Barry, they managed to haul between 80 to 90 cars up the pass to the Caltex Garage. They also helped save the life of a critically ill patient who was being transferred in an ambulance from Mpumalanga to Durban. The ambulance got stuck in the snow and the medics were running out of oxygen for the patient.

Philip commandeered a front-end loader to haul it up to their Help Care Centre where they kept the patient warm and were able to replenish the oxygen from their own supply. The Military from 5SAI used their trucks to clear a path through the snow the next day and Philip and Barry escorted the ambulance down the pass, weaving through the stuck trucks.

Adding to the praise was Craig Uren, chief operating officer of Isuzu Truck South Africa, who read out a message sent by Con Roux, commercial manager of the N3TC.

Roux said when one thinks that for 30 years, Philip and his team have always been there during peak traffic periods , spending up to 50 days a year on a completely voluntary basis , it becomes difficult to find a more selfless, humble, community-minded person than Philip. Not only is the service all done on a voluntary basis, but Philip has , on more than one occasion – put his own money into the project to keep it going.

“Apart form the many accidents he and his team have attended to, here is a man who will not hesitate to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning and go out into thick fog, mist or pouring rain to prevent a secondary accident when a truck is protruding onto the road at the bottom of Van Reenen’s Pass. It is highly dangerous work but if it needs to be done, he will put his own life at risk to save the lives of others. Were it not for his help over the years, many more lives would have been lost on our road. And all this is done from a very humble abode at the top of Van Reenen’s Pass,’ Roux’s tribute stated.

There are so many more examples of the sterling work CMS has done over the years but suffice to say that through their actions, Philip Hull and his team have – on so many occasions – brought hope to those who have lost all hope.

“For all this , plus a lot more – Isuzu Trucks is proud to pay tribute to these marvellous people by choosing CMS as a worthy recipient of the funds raised from our 2013 Isuzu Golf Day,’ said Uren.

Way to go Isuzu!!