ANNUAL BRAVERY AWARDS PRESENTATION
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Three residents of South Australia will be presented with a bravery award of The Royal Humane Society of Australasia: on Tuesday 1st April 2008 at Government House, Adelaide at 11.00am |
The awards, two Bronze Medals and one Certificate of Merit will be presented by His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, AC, CSC, RANR, Governor of South Australia at the investiture of awards within the Order of Australia and the Society.
The awards recognize
Contact: Colin Bannister (Secretary) (03) 9650 3233
Note: The Royal Humane Society of Australasia, formed in 1874,
is concerned with giving public recognition to acts of bravery
by making awards to those who risk their own lives to save
the lives of others.
Over 7,720 awards have been made in the Society's 133 years' history.
JEANETTE HOWE, aged 33 years, of Yahl, SA, in going to the rescue of the occupants of a crashed burning car at Yahl on 24 July 2006
At about 7.30pm Mrs Howe was insider her home when she heard a loud bang and went outside to investigate, to see a fire at the end of her property, about 100m away. Mrs Howe began to run down the driveway and saw that a car had collided with a tree at the front of her property. The car was on fire and she could see the driver’s upper body was outside the car lying on the ground.
She ran to the car and saw that the engine area was on fire and the flames were 2m high. Mrs Howe tried to get the driver out of the car, grabbed one arm and tried to drag him but he was very limp and heavy. She saw that his legs were trapped by the dashboard and despite trying to pull the man out of the car by both of his arms, was still unable to do so. Mrs Howe then tried to put out the fire by throwing dirt on it but to no avail, then ran back to the house for a fire extinguisher.
When she returned, the driver’s legs were on fire and she extinguished the flames with the extinguisher but the car started to burn on the inside and there was no charge left in the fire extinguisher.
Mrs Howe was told by the emergency services person on her mobile phone to move away from the car as it may explode. She then waited until the police and a CFS truck arrived to put out the fire.
The driver and a front-seat passenger died at the scene of the accident.
DARREN BEAMES, aged 37 years, of Richmond, SA , in going to the rescue of a man from drowning at West Beach, SA on 29 December 2005
At 2.30pm Const Tuckerman, off-duty, was at West Beach when he heard a man about 40m out to sea caught in a rip with rough seas, calling for help. Const Tuckerman immediately swam out to him and found that he was in extreme difficulty. He initially placed the man on his back and attempted to tow him to safety, but this proved too difficulty due to the rough conditions and the rip. He then left the man for a short time, swam a short distance and returned with a body-board on which he placed the man who was totally exhausted and unable to move. Const Tuckerman again attempted to pull the man to safety but was still unable to do so. Exhausted, Const Tuckerman swam back to shore to see further assistance.
Mr Beames came to assist and swam out to the man with Const Tuckerman. They both attempted to bring him to safety but the rip was too strong. Const Tuckerman again swam back to shore to get further help while Mr Beames kept the man afloat. Mr Beames managed to pull the man free from the rip and to a location where other members of the public could assist and pull them into the shallows.
(Const Tuckerman is to receive his award at a later date )
MICHAEL JAMES ROLLINS, aged 14 years, of Elizabeth Park, SA, in going to the rescue of a friend from drowning at Semaphore Beach, SA on 12 October 2006.
At about 9.00am Michael and his friend went for a swim at Semaphore Beach near the Semaphore Jetty with the tide rising and the waves increasing in size. The two swam out together, neither of them strong swimmers, and the other boy stopped while Michael continued swimming out a further 60m before he stopped and turned to his friend who raised his arm to signal that he was in difficulties. Michael realised that his friend was in trouble and swam back to him.
When he reached where the boy was last seen, Michael saw him about one metre below the surface. Michael lifted his friend to the surface and for the next 20 minutes struggled to bring him to the jetty as his friend struggled fearfully to cling to Michael, pulling him underwater as he did so.
A fisherman on the jetty saw the incident and threw a crab net to the pair to help bring both of them in to the barnacle-encrusted pylons of the jetty and then to safety.