Thirteen People Were Honored For Their Bravery By The Royal Humane Society Of Australia Yesterday. These Are Their Stories.
The Age
Thursday November 26, 1998
Emma Wilson 12, of Hoppers Crossing; Silver Medal; Rupert Wilks Trophy,awarded to the most out-standing case of bravery by a child under 12 years.
Citation: Going to the rescue of her drowning sister, Molly, at Gunamatta Surf beach on 8 January this year.
`My cousin and sister were in trouble. I went out to save my sister ... I kept hanging onto her until we got saved, then I let go of her. She drowned. This is an emotional day for me, I'm happy and sad at the same time ... I don't really feel like a hero. I was at there at the right time at the right place ... maybe that's what being a hero is.'
Catherine Leahy; Died 8 January 1998, age 17; Posthumous Medal
At 3.15pm on 8 January this year Catherine and her cousin, Emma, together with seven other children were knocked off a sandy bank by the surf and into a very strong rip. Catherine and Emma tried to save Molly, 4. Catherine tried to lift the little girl onto a body board but was washed away. Molly drowned. Catherine's sister, Belinda, also died. Her parents accepted the award on her behalf.
Matthew Dillon (left) 26, of Eltham; Bronze Medal
Scott Thomas 24, of Wattle Glen; Bronze Medal
John Bryers (Absent) 57, of Plenty; Bronze Medal
Citation: Rescuing a woman stabbed by her ex-boyfriend.
`(Mr Thomas) I was driving down the road in a cab on 3November 1997 around 11pm. I noticed there were two people (Matthew Dillon and John Bryers) on the side of the road holding a man down. I stopped to assist. I did first aid on the woman victim and kept her alive until the ambulance got there. Then police turned up and carted the offender off. I'm a CFA officer so I was trained in first aid - I'd used it before but never in such a capacity. It was a frightening experience, more of a shock actually, to see someone could do this to another person.'
David Owens (left) 33, of Sunbury; Bronze Medal,
lWilliam Honey 46, of Avondale Heights; Certificate of Merit
Citation: Going to the rescue of three people at Walkerville beach.
`(Mr Owens) We were sitting on the beach on 27 December 1996 and someone pointed out there was an overturned boat in the bay. We just grabbed our boat and went out there. It took about 20 minutes. When we got there one of the people was face down already. The other man screamed ... `He's been dead for 15 minutes, save the girl'. We turned around and there was a woman hanging onto a fuel tank. I swam to her and untangled her from the ropes. It looked like she was reasonably close to drowning.'
`(Mr Honey) It was disappointing that we couldn't do something to help the person who drowned - it just took too long to get out there. We were happy that we could help the other two out and get them back to shore. '
Rexi Wright 13, Glengarry; Bronze Medal
Citation: Rescuing a friend from drowning at Cowwar Weir.
`My friend Johnny Robertson and I were swimming across Cowwar Dam on 26 October last year. There were two sides of the dam - a little side and a big side. We were on the big side (and) we wanted to go on the other side to play on a Tarzan swing. We were about 10 feet away from each other and he started saying `help'. I went back and brought him to shore where a man and a girl helped revive him. It was really scary experience because I thought one of my friends was going to drown. Johnny came with me to watch me get the medal. He wanted to come because I saved him.'
Lorraine Forkes, 47, Hampton; Bronze Medal
Citation: Rescuing a drowning man.
`We went to the aid of another boat that had lost its mast on 4 March this year. The man I rescued, Jim ... went overboard. We threw him two buoys, but he missed both of them. The waves were so big they were taking him away from the boat. It was obvious that someone had to go in - and I was probably the only one. I just took my wet weather gear off and went in ... I didn't think about it, I didn't feel like a hero. I am grateful I didn't get into trouble.'
Omar Naboni 53, Footscray; Bronze Medal
Citation: Rescuing a man trapped beneath a burning bus 22 years ago.
`In April 1976, there was an accident in Mount Buller. It was a big collision between a tourist bus and a motor cycle ... the bus caught alight. I was passing by and I saw all the people trapped inside the bus. I broke a window and jumped inside and took the old people out ...Then I saw a man trapped under the rear tyre ... I found a jack. There was fire and smoke ... I heaved the jack and the man was eventually freed. ... I didn't accept the medal (for 22 years) but my little daughter kept asking me to go and get it. So eventually I said: ``OK."'
Margaret Bowen
Died 2 April 1998, age 40; Posthumous medal
Mrs Bowen's act of bravery testifies to a mother's love for her children. While rescuing her two daughters, aged 20 and 17, from the family's burning home, Mrs Bowen sacrificed her own life. In the early hours of 2 April 1997, a smoke alarm went off in the two-storey weatherboard house at Lalor. Mrs Bowen was woken by one of her daughters. The staircase was burning and could not be used. Mrs Bowen helped one daughter out of the first floor window to safety on the roof. She then returned to her other daughter and woke her. Mrs Bowen broke a window and also pushed her on to the roof.
The heat by this time was intense. It is believed Mrs Bowen was trapped before she could escape.
Cameron Winn 17, Ferny Creek; Silver Medal
Citation: Rescuing his grandmother from a fire.
`Dad and I were home on 21 January 1997. It was a really hot day and there was a fire in the area. We were worried about my grandparents and I went down to check on them.
Grandma was in the house and there were flames on the down side of the property. I got her out by taking her up the hill ... the fire was coming up behind me. Then I went back down to look for my grandfather ... there were flames everywhere by then, the house was on fire. Apparently he'd already left; I couldn't find him and I went back up the hill. I have no idea how I felt then. Two years afterwards it still hasn't sunk in.'
Samuel Walker 18, North Balwyn; Certificate of Merit
Citation: Rescuing a boy from drowning in the surf at Portsea Back Beach on Christmas Eve, 1996.
"The two kids were in the water, then I saw them being sucked out. I heard them screaming out for help. No one else had noticed so I quickly got my flippers and paddle and swam out to them. Their father must have realised what happened and he also had swum out to them. I gave my board to the first kid and the father and they both jumped on that. Then I swam about 30 metres towards the second kid who was terrified ... There was a big rip and the tide was going out. After 20 minutes we finally got in. '
© 1998 The Age