AS SISTERS Makeely and Jordan Bridge were dying in their burning car and their mother begged for someone to help them, onlookers filmed the carnage on mobile phones.

Rescuers at the scene of Monday's horror fuel tanker crash that killed the girls and the truck driver told yesterday of their disgust at the behaviour of some onlookers.

"We saw people filming it, it will probably be on YouTube," Emily Harrison _ one of the brave men and women who tried in vain to save the trapped girls _ told The Daily Telegraph.

"There were a lot of people coming with towels, there were a lot of people coming with water and then there was the younger generation with their mobile phones." Ms Harrison was one of several people who arrived at the Princes Highway crash scene at East Lynne, north of Batemans Bay, just after the 4.50pm crash.

She was among those who helped rescue the girls' parents - Dave and Debbie Bridge, 47 and 40 - from their crashed and burning Subaru.

The Ulladulla parents and their daughters - Jordan, 13, and Makeely, 11 - were in the last of three cars to be struck by the runaway fuel tanker which then exploded.

The accident was witnessed by Mrs Bridge's sister Sheree Montgomery and her husband Frank, who were following in a car behind the Bridges.

The rescuers described heartbreaking scenes after the couple were dragged from the car by those first at the scene with the help of Mr Montgomery, who suffered burns to his hands.

Rural Fire Service volunteer Blair McDonald, 26, said that after Mrs Bridge was freed from the wreck of the family's Subaru, she walked to the middle of the highway and cried: "My children, will someone get my children.

"Both the parents were screaming out for their daughters. We went back to get the girls, there was no way we could get in there," Mr McDonald said.

The girls appeared to be still alive at that stage but then a massive explosion rocked the car.

"There was a lot of people around on the northern end of the incident taking photos or filming it. It did piss me off," Mr McDonald said.

Mrs Harrison said Mr Bridge was placed on a fire blanket nearby and cried as he struggled for breath, telling her: "My girls, my girls."

Ms Harrison said Mr Bridge's sister-in-law Sheree came up to him following the explosion and told him: "You have to be strong for your wife".

As he lay on the fire blanket on the side of the road, Mr Bridge told Ms Harrison the truck was travelling on "two wheels" and he couldn't get out of its way.

The family had been travelling in a family convoy from Christmas celebrations in Victoria.

Both girls were high achievers who loved netball.

Ms Harrison and her partner Terry Bojc, 38, said they were horrified by younger witnesses filming the unfolding tragedy while they could still hear the Bridge girls.

The couple and Mr McDonald said older witnesses ran with water, first aid kits and offered any help they could away from the flames.

Ms Harrison, whose dress became soaked in fuel, and her partner were still shaken yesterday.

Mr McDonald, from the Menai Rural Fire Brigade, hit the brakes when he first saw the tanker begin to roll to one side and watched in horror as it slid sideways into the Bridge's car.

Mrs Bridge and her husband were in a critical condition with burns in Concord and Royal North Shore hospitals yesterday.

Originally published as Ghouls taking pictures of shame