Man seen helping elderly gentleman on busy South Auckland road draws praise

This mystery man was spotted helping an elderly gentleman cross a busy South Auckland road. Photo/ Angela Jones

A mystery man who helped an elderly gentleman with a walking frame cross a busy South Auckland road is being hailed as a community hero on social media.

Takanini woman Angela Jones told the Herald she often saw the older man, who she guessed was in his 70s, trying to cross Great South Rd by the Bunnings from her office window.

He usually had a walking stick but yesterday afternoon he attempted to make the risky crossing with the walking frame.

"I thought 'oh my god don't say he's going to come across the road', and sure enough he attempts to," she said.

Jones, who owns the Curtain Clinic on Great South Rd, said she was starting to feel concerned for the man's safety when she saw a silver Holden pull up on the median strip.

"The chap got out and started making hand signals to all the traffic and I thought 'this is really neat'.

"He did a hand stop and a big truck stopped, and then all the other cars stopped.

"He got the elderly gentleman to the side of the road, then just went over, got in his car and took off.

"It made me think, gosh, if I'd been down there close to the road I would have liked to do the same thing."

Jones said she would love to meet the man and thank him in person for his caring community spirit and welcomed him to pop in and say hi at her shop.

"The chap got out and started making hand signals to all the traffic and I thought 'this is really neat'" said an onlooker.

"He probably isn't family to this elderly gentleman, but he's got the inborn principles of caring and looking out for others which made him stop and do that," she said.

"If I was his parent I would have been so proud of him."

Jones said she thought the elderly man must live nearby and chose to cross Great South Rd to make his trip as short as possible due to his mobility issues.

"It is a dangerous little spot. Cars trying to pull out of Bunnings and cars whipping up that medium strip."

Jones posted photos of the interaction to Facebook in a post which has racked up more than 300 likes and dozens of positive comments.

"Wonderful, my heart melts when we see these gestures," one person wrote.

"Need more guys like this in the world," commented another.