Mum’s trauma over stranded son

By Sarah Schwager
TWO mums were horrified when one of their kids was left stranded on the Merinda Park Railway Station in Cranbourne last week.
Narre Warren mother Caterina Cannizzaro and her friend Melinda, from Berwick, were coming home from the city on the Cranbourne-bound train with their young children last Monday, 11 December.
Melinda’s seven-year-old son Luke hopped off onto the Merinda Park platform first.
Ms Cannizzaro struggled to get her pram out the door when the doors suddenly closed, leaving Luke on the platform by himself.
She said she, her son Gian, 2, Melinda and her son Dylan, 3, were trapped on the train, unable to reopen the doors and as the train pulled away from the platform her friend became hysterical while Dylan began screaming for his older brother.
She said she called for help on a push button two-way radio but the train kept moving to Cranbourne.
“We did not hear from the two-way radio voice again, despite the fact that he would have undoubtedly seen our grief and panic-stricken faces.”
She said once the train reached Cranbourne, her mind and body went into auto pilot and she leapt out of the carriage with the pusher to get help.
She was told by the ticket booth attendant that Luke was in the presence of an adult until they returned.
Ms Cannizzaro said they then got on the train heading back to the Merinda Park station.
“We were so lucky,” she said.
“This could have easily ended up in a tragedy or abduction.”
They were reunited with Luke and Ms Cannizzaro said she could not thank enough the fellow commuter that came to the little boy’s aid and care. Ms Cannizzaro said they were in no way seeking compensation, instead wanting to avoid a similar scenario happening again either for them or anyone else.
“Connex have to implement far better emergency measures and response to ensure safety and restore faith for vulnerable groups,” she said.
“This incident was the most terrifying 15 to 20 minutes of our lives which I wouldn’t want to wish upon anyone.” Connex communications manager Kate De Clercq said Connex had investigated the matter.
She said there was no malfunction identified to the door of the train.
“The emergency two-way system was not malfunctioning. The driver reported that the train had started moving when the women pressed the emergency button and, naturally worried, the women were yelling into the speaker making it difficult to speak to them,” Ms De Clercq said.
She said the driver quickly notified Central Train Control who told staff at Cranbourne Station while another passenger at Merinda Park noticed the child and let Control know via the Station Emergency Button.
She said Central Train Control then told Cranbourne staff to advise the mother to board the next train back to Merinda Park where her son would be waiting with the passenger.