"Mum, come quickly, I'm on fire!" Daniel Schroeder screamed down the line when his mother answered her mobile on Friday night.
Daniel, badly injured and distraught, made the call moments after he was dragged from a burning wreck in an horrific accident at Unanderra in which three of his mates died.
The men were killed when the Holden Commodore sedan they were travelling in crashed and exploded on the Princes Hwy at Unanderra about 7.30pm on Friday night.
Daniel's plea triggered the worst night of Tracey Schroeder's life.
"I knew it wasn't a joke ... he was highly distressed and screaming for me to come," Mrs Schroeder said yesterday.
She tried to stay calm in the dash from Horsley to the accident site on the southern side of Princes Hwy, about 100m south of the rail crossing.
Her husband Uwe stayed behind with her other children.
"I broke all the rules and kept talking to Daniel along the way to comfort him," Mrs Schroeder said.
"It was almost black when I got there because the car had taken out the power pole.
"But I got to speak to Daniel before he was loaded into the ambulance and I assured him I would be right behind him."
Daniel, 21, was taken to Wollongong Hospital and transferred to Royal North Shore Hospital with burns to 30 per cent of his body, 10 per cent of which were full thickness burns. They will require skin grafts.
Those who died at the scene were Adam Nall, 27, from Oak Flats, Roach Bannerman, 19, from Brownsville and Aaron Sinadinovic, 24, from Farmborough Heights.
"Daniel was heavily sedated when we saw him yesterday (Saturday) but he responded when we entered the room," Mrs Schroeder said.
"Doctors are concerned about his left eardrum after the explosion and the burns to his left arm is a real worry too, but we but we are grateful to have him alive," she said.
The family are hoping for a speedy recovery.
"My family's heartfelt thanks go out to the people who risked their lives to save Daniel.
" We want to thank them for their fast actions, their bravery and their selflessness ... we still have our son because of them," Mrs Schroeder said.
"Daniel's a good kid and is a very loving and caring boy."
Daniel worked at BlueScope's coke ovens as a refractory installer alongside his three mates.
Mrs Schroeder said one of the most distressing elements was the inaccurate reports in the Sydney media that said Daniel had been driving.
"All I know is that the driver lost control and hit a power pole, then a gas main," she said.
"Daniel was in the front passenger's seat.
"We know the other boys and they are all good boys and our thoughts go out to the family.
"We have been inundated by messages and phone calls."
She said the family knew they had a long road ahead but were thankful for the help and support of their many friends and family.
"Daniel's girlfriend Melissa was here today ... they have been going out for nearly three years and are very close," Mrs Schroeder said.
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