Cheerleaders from Salford had a lucky escape when the gear box of their coach blew up – leaving them stranded in France.
Forty-nine girls and women – aged from six to their late 20s – and their coaches narrowly avoided injury when their vehicle ground to a halt on their way back from the European cheerleading championships in Italy.
The dancers, members of Swinton-based Firestorm Cheerleaders, were terrified when the coach suffered a serious fault and black smoke filled the air.
They were ordered to evacuate at 4am today – and were left by the side of the road in tears.
Now their trainers say they have no way of getting home and are waiting to find out when a replacement vehicle will be sent to rescue them.
The police had to be called to try to tow the coach and offer assistance, with the cheerleaders taken to a local community centre.
Volunteers from the village – on the French border with Switzerland – have provided them with food and shelter but the squad is desperate to return home.
Cheerleading coach Sarah Aldcroft, who is stuck in France, told the MEN of their distress and said they were fortunate to avoid injury.
Sarah, 31, from Swinton, said: “We had travelled all the way to Italy on the coach, did really well in the championships and then were returning home.
“The gear box was chugging all the time and all of a sudden it just exploded. The smoke was really thick and we were ordered to get out.
“We were in the middle of nowhere, it was the middle of the night and everyone was upset. The police and volunteers at the community centre have been like angels . They've really looked after us – I don't know what we'd have done without them.”
Sarah explained that the girls had set off for Italy on Thursday and had arrived late on Friday. They competed on Saturday and Sunday, with the mini and junior teams finishing tenth in Europe and the senior team finished ninth.
The dancers got on the coach to return home at 6pm on Sunday and disaster stuck 10 hours later.
“We just don't know what will happen now,” added Sarah. “We are waiting to hear from the coach firm to see when we can come home. We are stranded.”
