Victims of Hunter Valley bus crash named as communities pay ...

Friends and sporting clubs have paid tribute to those still unaccounted for after the Hunter Valley’s horror bus crash, which included a mother and daughter from nearby Singleton, a young athlete described as “a great bloke and a mate to many”, and a former footballer with “a big heart and willingness to help anyone”.

Communities up and down Australia’s east coast were left reeling as the identities of those yet to be accounted for began to emerge on Tuesday morning.

Their respective football and lifesaving clubs issued statements via their Facebook pages overnight, paying tribute to Nadene McBride and her daughter Kyah, footballers from nearby Singleton; Kane Symons, a local footballer and lifesaver previously from Tasmania; and former footballer Andrew Scott and his wife Lynan Scott, from Queensland.

Rebecca Mullen, a junior doctor based at Calvary Mater hospital, is among those who died in the bus crash.

The tragedy will be doubly hard to take for her colleagues at the hospital, based in Newcastle, where some of those injured in the crash are being treated.

Health minister Ryan Park said news that NSW Health had lost one of its own made “a dark day even darker”.

“Our focus now is on putting all of our support around her family, loved ones and her friends,” he said. “This has made a very dark day even darker for New South Wales Health. We’ve lost one of our own, someone who was obviously going to have a long and illustrious career in medicine has been taken way too early and on behalf of the New South Wales community.”

Queensland’s Redland-Victoria Point Sharks Football Club described Andrew Scott, known as Chisel, as a “terrific member of our community both on and off the field”.

“The football community is mourning the loss of former player Andrew Scott and wife Lynan who passed away in the Hunter Valley this week,” the club said.

“Chisel, as he was known, played for the Bombers in 2014 alongside his brother Luke. He also was a longtime player at QAFL level with Mt Gravatt where he was part of the Vultures’ 2007 Premiership team.

“He was a terrific member of our community both on and off the field and was characterised by his big heart and willingness to help anyone.”

The Sydney Women’s AFL Masters social competition said its community was “shocked and saddened” by news of the loss of Nadene McBride and her daughter Kyah, who both played their football in Singleton.

“Our thoughts and sympathy extend to all the friends, families and team mates of Nads and Kyah and the Singleton football community. Please reach out to each other for support.”

The Carlton Park Surf Life Saving Club, based in Tasmania, issued a statement on behalf of the family of Kane Symons, who was Kyah’s boyfriend.

“We send our love and support to Steve, Sarn and Jaimie. Kane, otherwise known as ‘Superman’ was an amazing athlete who competed at the highest level,” president Christine Gaby said. “But more than that he was a leader, a great bloke and a mate to many. We adored him and he will be truly missed.”

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Symons was also a footballer playing in Singleton at the time of the crash and had been named in the AFL Hunter Central Coast men’s squad just four days ago. Kyah had been named in the same team’s women’s squad on the same day.

Sue Moore, mayor of Singleton Shire Council, says the community is struggling to come to terms with the loss of locals.

“I understand seven of the victims are from Singleton – so, struggling still, coming to terms with it,” she said. “The wider community as well as the families, obviously. The wedding couple. The people that are still in hospital with injuries. It’s – it’s just so widespread.”

Cessnock City Council mayor Jay Suvaal says the community of the Hunter Valley bus crash are in a state of shock and described his distress at learning that so many of the victims were from the neighbouring community of Singleton.

“So, that sort of makes it even more devastating,” he told the ABC. “We are a really close-knit community.”

Suvaal said he had worked with the mayor of Singleton “to make sure that both of our communities are supported during this difficult time”.

Drop-in clinics are available at the Singleton youth venue from 9am, and at the Branxton Community Hall from 10am, today. Disaster recovery officers and chaplains will be providing mental health support “which is really needed here”, Suvaal says.

“People will be able to just come in, that have been affected by this, and talk to someone.”