Members of the public rushed to Geraldine Sims' aid when she was knocked over by the wind. Photo / Supplied
Members of the public rushed to Geraldine Sims' aid when she was knocked over by the wind. Photo / Supplied
An elderly woman picked up and thrown by a gust of Wellington wind has praised the quick actions of members of the public who rushed to her aid.
Geraldine Sims, 88, from Upper Hutt, was walking from the train station with her son Kevin and two grandchildren on Wednesday, when she was caught by the wind.
Her son told the Herald they were on Bunny St, where the wind "really tunnels through" when the "significant gust" caught his mum.
"She just got blown in the wrong direction, blown off balance and before she could regain her balance, there was another little gust and just took her a little bit too far from us," he said.
They took her on to a street by the law building, where "very luckily", a fire alarm training drill was happening, "so quite a few staff were out and they came up to see if we needed help".
"They were great, they called the ambulance, got her a wheelchair and first aid. They went above and beyond to help us.
"She's a bit dazed and a bit sore with her dislocated arm."
Geraldine Sims in hospital. Photo / supplied
"She's sort of a bit frail anyway, it's a bit more difficult now she only has one arm. She's going pretty well but it's a bit hard with day-to-day activities. For the next little bit she's going to be a bit disabled in order to do daily tasks."
He said the support network in New Zealand was "pretty amazing".
"In the hospital, we were able to see an occupational therapist who came and saw us in the department and she's done an amazing job sorting out what services are available.
"Hospitals are under a bit of strain with staffing and Covid but for us at the emergency department in Welly the staff were incredible as to what they were able to do, they were exemplary. New Zealand should be proud of that."
Sims told the Herald she was "a bit surprised" to find herself blown over.
"I'm very good at being upright as a rule," she said.
"I was most grateful for the good people who came to help, I really don't know what we'd have done otherwise. They really went above and beyond. What good people we have here."
Sims said she was feeling "okay" after the incident, but her recovery for her shoulder is expected to take a few weeks.
"I'll be wearing dark glasses in public as I look a bit awful."
