Hero tradies reveal how they saved bus-load of schoolchildren after horror crash - as tragic details emerge about driver who died

Two tradies are being hailed as heroes for helping to save schoolchildren when their bus crashed after their driver suffered a medical episode and died.

Colby Bartels And Adam Smith were among the first on the tragic scene at Wandong Road, near Kilmore, north of Melbourne, just after 3.30pm on Wednesday.

The Assumption College school bus had about 32 students on board when it veered off the road and crashed into a tree.

Speaking on The Project, the tradies, who had never met before the incident, explained how they set about helping the students trapped inside.

Mr Smith said he was on his way home from work when he noticed the bus had gone through the barrier on the side of the road.

Tradies Adam Smith (left) and Colby Bartels (right) have been hailed heroes after rescuing trapped school children from the crashed bus on Wednesday afternoon

The Assumption College Maeve's bus (pictured) veered off the road, with police believing the driver had a medical episode

'My initial reaction was just to go and grab my ladder out of my glass ute,' he said.

'[I] pretty much put it up to the side of the bus, get up to the window and break the window to get access to inside the bus.'

The carpenter said he then sent each child over to Mr Bartels.

'[He] gave them a hand to get out the window and down the ladder.'

Mr Bartels said the students were shaken by the ordeal.

'As you can imagine they were pretty shaken up and teary about the whole situation. I couldn't blame them for what they have been through.'

Mr Bartels said when he first arrived, there was a woman on scene who was trying to help the driver.

'When I got there [the bus driver] was unconscious,' Mr Bartels said.

Gary MacDonald, 65, (pictured left) was killed in the crash and has been described as an outstanding human being

The school's bus driver (pictured) was described as a  'generous soul' and has been remembered as a 'lovely man' with the school community 'grateful for the person he was'

'He wasn't responding to us. I moved the door out the way so she could get to him easier. By the time I had done that, everybody else started turning up, including Adam.

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'We tried to figure out how to get on [the bus] and help the kids.'

Only some of the students suffered minor injuries and one had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The 65-year-old driver has been named as Gary MacDonald and he is believed to have suffered a medical episode.

Assumption College principal Paul Finneran told the Herald Sun that Mr MacDonald was a 'generous soul' and an outstanding human being.

'He had a great relationship with the kids, he was such a lovely man,' he said.

'I was speaking to his family last night and the school community, everyone was so grateful for the person he was.'

Mr Finnernan said the school has offered students counselling 'to process what's happened'.

Victoria Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.