The Coles Bay community has turned out in force to help a 76-year-old man whose home was allegedly torched by intruders who beat him and bound him earlier this month.
Volunteers gathered at Grant Whelan’s property on Saturday to sift through debris in the hope of recovering precious belongings including a lifelong coin collection, army badges and a bravery medal.
His daughter Chantel Yates posted on social media thanking everyone who showed up.
“A massive thank you to everyone who turned up yesterday to help Dad, we honestly can’t get over it,” Yates wrote.
She said Granite Freycinet Cafe provided egg and bacon rolls and coffees for the volunteers.
Aris and Perry Whelan brought machinery to help with the effort.
“Coles Bay really is something special. Dad’s overwhelmed, in the best way,” Yates said.
Vanessa Whelan, another of Grant Whelan’s daughters, told Pulse ahead of the clean-up that the family needed help to go through the wreckage.
“We just need the hands to go through it ’cause it’s a bit of a dirty, yucky job,” she said.
A GoFundMe page set up to help fund a rebuild has reached around $80,000.
Police allege two masked men broke into the rural property armed with a crowbar around 5am on July 11, assaulted Whelan and forced him to reveal the location of a firearms safe.
They allegedly stole guns, cash and his Toyota Hilux before binding his hands and feet with cable ties, dragging him into the yard and setting the house alight.
Three men, two aged 31 and one aged 29, were arrested on Thursday across Launceston and charged with offences including aggravated armed robbery, assault and arson.
Police say 15 licensed firearms are yet to be recovered.
Vanessa Whelan said her father was determined to rebuild on the property.
“He’s a stubborn old bloke and he doesn’t want them to defeat him in his lifestyle that he really, really enjoyed up there,” she told Pulse on Friday.
