Trees were crashing, babies were crying and heroes were there to save the day, as the snow brought traffic to a standstill.

Three mothers share their experience of last friday's snow storm.

Garage attendant is mum’s saviour

Heavy snowfall left a mum and four children, all under six, stranded at a petrol station – but there was help at hand.

Katrina Festorazzi, 41, became stuck in her car on Blue Bell Hill, near Chatham, at around 5pm on Friday night, as the snow lashed down.

She was on her way home to Parkwood, Rainham, with two of her children and two grandchildren, after visiting a relative in Allington.

Ms Festorazzi said: “We had been stuck in the same spot for 45 minutes – we knew something was wrong.

“There was a crash but the snow had brought everything to a standstill.

“The children were asking for the toilet every five minutes. The baby, aged 10 months, was crying as she needed to be fed.

“We sang Wheels on the Bus for the millionth time; I hate that song now especially because the wheels weren’t going round.”

An hour later they got to the Shell petrol station, on the Medway-bound carriageway.

Ms Festorazzi said: “I’m normally calm but I got out the car and cried down the phone to my partner, I didn’t know what to do.

“I went into ‘mum mode’; you just focus on keeping your children cheerful.

“It was just frustrating and worrying. I had four children in the freezing cold. How the hell was I going to get them home?”

Inside the petrol station they met cashier Naomi Wilby.

Ms Festorazzi said: “She gave me hot water for the baby’s bottle so I could make some milk and she was about to throw away food from the hot counter and said I could have it for the children.

“So many people went into the shop and she was on her own, serving and helping everyone.

“Apparently she was meant to work until 7pm but I left at about 11pm and she was still there.

“She was amazing, such a trouper and I cannot thank her enough. She was my hero of the night.”

Ms Festorazzi’s partner Kieron came to the rescue in his van using a country lane, Chatham Road, behind the garage.

In the pitch-black, icy conditions the five left their car and made their way down two steep fields to reach the van.

Ms Festorazzi said: “It was quite traumatic, we had to hold the kids. I was so worried we would drop the baby.

“The journey home was so scary, we saw so many accidents, cars abandoned and fallen trees.

“We had to stop to clear trees and we almost got stuck but some lovely men helped us through.

“The children were amazing – I cannot believe they we were so good.

“We got home at about 11.45pm. It was a six-hour journey that should have taken 20 minutes.

“As I got ready for bed all I could think about was Naomi and how helpful she was.”

They spent seven hours rescuing motorists.

Ms Festorazzi visited the petrol station on Saturday morning to collect her car and deliver a thank-you card to Naomi which was hand drawn by the children.

Kirsty Whiteman, manager at the Blue Bell Hill, petrol station said: “Naomi hasn’t been with us long, she started in November.

“Since then we’ve had nothing but praise about her from members of the public.

“We had a crash on Blue Bell Hill and they came in here – they couldn’t tell us enough about how well Naomi looked after them.

“So this is the second time we’ve had someone actively come in and tell us about her.

“We’re so lucky to have her, she’s lovely, she’s helpful and she really cares.”

‘Terrifying’ journey home after hospital op

A husband and wife were trapped under falling branches, moments after he had been discharged from surgery.

Wayne and Debbie Cooley were leaving the Spire Hospital, in Impton Lane, Walderslade, at around 8pm on Friday, after Mr Cooley had an hernia operation.

As they turned onto Walderslade Woods Road, there was heavy snow and traffic was at a standstill.

Suddenly, a tree from the surrounding woodland came crashing down onto their car roof.

Mrs Cooley said: “It was terrifying. We just heard this loud crack and a lady screaming and massive tree fell on us. The branches were in the windows and on the bonnet.

“A lady came round to get us out and screamed as Wayne lifted his top up – he was bleeding everywhere.

“I went into autopilot, I was scared but I thought ‘we can’t get stuck here’.

“We got out from under one tree and were given police assistance to turn around in the road.

“Then as we drove up the road in the opposite direction, another tree fell on us and trapped the car.

“You could hear the trees cracking under the weight of the snow and they were falling everywhere. It was chaos.

“Wayne was bleeding, we didn’t know if we should carry on home or return to the hospital.

“He felt helpless. He wanted to keep me safe but he couldn’t drive, he had just come out of surgery.

"We just heard this loud crack and a lady screaming and massive tree fell on us."

“I just had to put my foot down and drive through it blind to get out from under the tree.

“We then pulled over in a side road and I cleared the snow and branches from the bonnet and screen.

“I cannot believe we were not hurt.”

The pair finally made it to their home in Cleve Road, Gillingham, at about 10.30pm.

They changed Mr Cooley’s dressing and spent the rest of the weekend counting their blessings.

Mrs Cooley added: “I will never underestimate how dangerous it is to drive in the snow again.

Lisa looks for Range Rover hero

A woman wants to thank a Range Rover driver who rescued her after she got stuck in the snow.

Lisa Ramos, pictured, was driving home to Walderslade from work in Ashford at around 10pm on Friday.

When she reached Star Lane in Gillingham her car got stuck at the bottom of a hill. Panicking, she called the AA but they said they could not help because her car had not broken down.

The 39-year-old said: “A man in a Range Rover came. He was with his wife. He towed the car up the hill without a bat of an eye lid.

“He did not have to stop but he offered to help as he saw me stranded.

“He was my guardian angel of the night, I was so worried I’d be stuck. I was almost at the stage where I was going to call the police.

“I wished that I had got his name but he was around the Gillingham area and said that he had been out helping stranded people. I was blessed to come across him.”

Also helping out on Blue Bell Hill were some 30 volunteers with South East 4x4 Response, who support the emergency services during extreme weather to clear roads and help anyone stranded.

Ms Ramos was pretty sure her rescuer was a member of the public and not an official 4x4 responder.

She added: “I doubt he would recognise me from my picture as it was very dark.

“But if he does I would like him to come forward so I can thank him.”