Janny and Jaap almost miss their own 60th anniversary due to a broken elevator, the fire brigade comes to the rescue

Janny and Jaap celebrated their anniversary on Thursday afternoon at snack bar Vroeg of Laat in Spanbroek. The broken elevator in the Pastoor Merius flat almost threw a spanner in the works. Both have difficulty walking and cannot leave the house without a lift.

“We sat with our hands in our hair during coffee in the morning, because we had our party in the afternoon”, Janny looks back. “We called the municipality, but they didn’t know either. Later my son-in-law said to the municipality: ‘You just arrange it. My parents have been married 60 years today’.”

Time was running out, but eventually the redeeming answer came: the fire brigade was on its way. The fire truck arrived around 4:30 p.m. Four strong men came up with an evacuation chair. “Then they tied us up one by one and carried us down the stairs,” says Jannie with a laugh. “Thanks to their efforts, we still arrived on time and we are very happy with that. And when the party was over, they came back to lift us up.”

Rewarded with cake

The firefighters volunteers were rewarded with cake for their heroic deed. “That is the least we can do. It has become a special anniversary. We had a successful day with many happy family members and friends.”

(Text continues below the photo)

Joost Deen, post commander of the fire brigade in Opmeer, is happy that he was able to save the anniversary. “This is something different again. We couldn’t bring ourselves to help the couple,” says Joost. Afterwards, the men listened to the stories about the past and how they met each other while enjoying a pastry. A special ‘rescue operation’, he says. “As a fire service you are in the middle of society, especially within villages.”

Compliment

Mayor Gerard van den Hengel is also proud of ‘his’ fire brigade. “Great compliment to the fire brigade. And although the elevator is supposed to work, the couple also enjoyed the spectacle quite a bit,” he wrote on Facebook.

Yet the elevator in the flat is still out of order. “We can’t go anywhere, because we walk with a walker. Unfortunately, we depend on a lift,” says Janny. Her husband Jaap adds with a laugh: “I do know a solution: down on our ass and then step by step.”

(Text continues below the photo)

The municipality of Opmeer informed NH News that the lift was repaired on Friday morning. Nevertheless, the Opmeer housing company received a report this morning that the elevator was not working. “The Opmeer housing company then called the technician and he came by this afternoon. Unfortunately, he was unable to repair the lift this afternoon. Parts have to be ordered and the lift is expected to work again on Wednesday. We appeal to the self-reliance of If the residents still need help, they can contact the voluntary organization Raad en Daad.”