Brave Queenslanders honoured with awards

Premier Campbell Newman has paid tribute to 32 people who have received Queensland bravery awards today.

Mr Newman said the awards were for a range of deeds including flood rescues, helping to catch and apprehend bandits and saving a young girl from an attack.

“There are acts of bravery across Queensland all the time, but every so often people do something out of the ordinary,” Mr Newman said.

“These acts of courage save property and in some cases may save lives so it’s important to recognise those involved and the profound impact they have had on so many individuals.

“The acts are performed by selfless people who place the interests of others above their own.

“To them I say congratulations and thank you for what you have done.”

Mr Newman said of the 32 recipients, 12 are receiving group citations, 16 Commendations for Brave Conduct and four are getting Bravery Medals.

“As well as Queenslanders, the group citations also include three Australian Navy personnel from New South Wales and one from the ACT who winched a man from floodwaters at Laidley Creek in the 2011 floods,” he said.

“There was also an 82 year old man who helped to rescue a woman and child from a burning house at Oakey, by knocking on the front door to wake them up.

“Three young boys, aged 11, 12 and 15 are also being recognised for rescuing a girl after a known criminal lured them all to his house on Palm Island.

“I don’t think it’s a stretch to call these people heroes and I’m extremely proud of all of them for what they have done.

“Each of them has made Queensland just that little bit better and that is something we can all appreciate.”

[ENDS] 1 September 2013

Media Contact: Gerard Reilly 0427 967 852

*NB please see over for details of bravery awards recipients

Lance Corporal Andrew Joseph FENECH, Brisbane Qld 4000

Mr Jamie Scott FERGUSON, Stafford Heights Qld 4053

Constable Sean Malcolm HANLON, Queensland Police

On 16 October 2011, Lance Corporal Andrew Fenech, Mr Jamie Ferguson and Constable Sean Hanlon (off duty) helped apprehend an armed man who had just robbed a jewellery store in a shopping mall in Mitchelton.  They were nearby when they heard a commotion and each went to investigate.  They pursued the robber as he made off through the mall.  After they caught up with him, there was a struggle during which the offender tried to escape.  The three men managed to disarm and restrain the offender until police arrived on the scene.

Mr Warren William McERLEAN, Toowoomba Qld 4350

On the afternoon of 10 January 2011, Mr McErlean assisted in the rescue and attempted rescue of a woman and two children who caught in rising flood waters in Toowoomba.  Mr McErlean entered the deep fast flowing water and attempted to reach the submerged vehicle but he was washed off his feet.  He then grabbed a rope and tied one end to a traffic pole and the other around his waist before he again attempted to reach the stranded vehicle.  When he got to within five metres of the vehicle, the force of the torrent swept him off his feet again and others pulled him back to the traffic lights.  The family were standing on the ledge of two open doors.  A man piggy-backed one of the children and shimmied along the rope back to the traffic lights where he handed him to Mr McErlean.  Almost immediately, Mr McErlean lost his footing and both he and the boy were grabbed and pushed back to the guard rail around the traffic light where Queensland Fire and Rescue assisted them to safety. 

Mr Robert Vincent BARRON, PO Box 330, Oakey Qld 4401

On 10 June 2011, Mr Robert Barron, aged 82, assisted in the rescue of a woman and a child from a burning house at Oakey.  Alerted by smoke on his way to a nearby meeting in Oakey, Mr Barron and an acquaintance went to investigate and found smoke coming from a two storey timber house. Unsure if the residence was occupied, Mr Barron began knocking on the front door, waking a woman who was asleep inside.  As she called 000, Mr Barron entered the house to look for further occupants and found a sleeping boy.  He woke the child and after confirming no one else was in the house, escorted the boy and the woman outside and remained with them until the fire brigade arrived.

Senior Firefighter Corrie James BENSON, Townsville Qld 4810

On 12 December 2010, Senior Firefighter Corrie Benson attempted to rescue a girl who was trapped in a flooded creek in Townsville.  Senior Firefighter Benson and two colleagues arrived at Alligator Creek following heavy rain, where friends of the girl pointed to a rocky area where she was trapped and submerged.  After anchoring a safety line, Senior Firefighter Benson and one of his colleagues entered the water several times to try and free the girl.  When, with darkness falling, their attempts were unsuccessful and they realised the girl was unlikely to be alive,
Senior Firefighter Benson remained at the scene overnight.  He joined other rescue personnel the following morning to retrieve the girl’s body.

Mr Gregory James DARLINGTON, 3 Yuruga Place, Maryborough Qld 4650

Mrs Joan Marion DARLINGTON, 3 Yuruga Place, Maryborough Qld 4650

On 9 April 2010, Mr Greg and Mrs Joan Darlington rescued a man who was being assaulted by three others in Maryborough.  Mr and Mrs Darlington were at home when they heard screams from a nearby residence.  They ran toward the property where they saw their neighbour lying on the ground being attacked by three men, watched by another man and two women.  Mr and Mrs Darlington protested verbally before they were personally threatened by the attackers. 
Mr Darlington and his wife, who had returned home in the meantime to call 000, again confronted the attackers to stress that police were on their way.  They continued to be threatened themselves until the group left before police arrived.

Mr Coel Kenneth IBBERTSON, Emu Park Qld 4710

On 1 January 2012, Mr Coel Ibbertson saved a family from a burning house at Emu Park.  While visiting his mother, Mr Ibbertson noticed the verandah of a neighbour’s house was on fire.  He called 000, passed the phone to his mother, and ran to the burning building.  With the front door locked, he entered the property through a window and began searching for occupants through a haze of smoke.  Mr Ibbertson found two adults and three children asleep in their beds and waking them, evacuated the family through a rear door, to safety outside.

Senior Constable Brigitte Ann MANNING-JONES, Queensland Police

On 13 May 2012, Senior Constable Brigitte Manning-Jones prevented a woman from committing self harm on Mornington Island.  The woman, who was intoxicated, had been seen climbing a decommissioned thirty metre water tower.  Senior Constable Manning-Jones and a colleague saw the woman sitting on the edge of one of the water tanks.  She told them she was going to drown herself and jumped into the tank.  Senior Constable Manning-Jones and her colleague quickly climbed over a three metre barbed wire perimeter fence and scaled the water tower and an uncaged tank ladder.  They pulled the woman from the water and lifted her onto the tank platform.  When the woman attempted to jump from the platform, they held her arms and dragged her back from the edge, pacifying her before they descended the tower.

Mr Steven Samual PRICE, PO Box 264, Paradise Point Qld 4216

On 10 June 2012, Mr Steven Price rescued two people from a submerged vehicle at Broadbeach Waters.  An elderly man had lost control of his vehicle and driven it down an embankment at high speed before it crashed into the Broadbeach canal.  Mr Price and several others entered the canal to reach the vehicle which, with the driver and a passenger, was already half-filled with water.  Attempting to drag the vehicle out of the canal, they managed to open the rear hatch.  The occupants tried to escape but the vehicle quickly sank.  Mr Price dived under the water several times until he was able to take hold of the passenger and pull her to safety.  He and another member of the group managed to open the rear door and pull the driver from the cabin and then to shore, where he was given CPR until the arrival of ambulance personnel.

Senior Constable Daven Bruce RICHARDS, Queensland Police

On 7 January 2011, Senior Constable Daven Richards rescued two people after their vehicle had become submerged in flood waters at Kilkivan.  Senior Constable Richards and his colleague responded to an incident in which two people were trapped in a bus stranded in rising water at Widgee Creek.  Arriving at the scene, Senior Constable Richards learned that the vehicle was about 200 metres from the water’s edge.  In darkness, he waded out to a point where he could locate the bus, then he swam toward it.  After reaching the bus he realised that the current was too strong to rescue the people safely except by boat, he swam back against the current and secured the attendance of an SES boat which then brought them to safety.

Mr William Bruce RILEY, Toowoomba Qld 4350

On 10 January 2011, Mr William Riley rescued two people from a car that was caught in rapidly rising flood waters in Toowoomba.  When Mr Riley left his workplace he noted that the water in East Creek was rising quickly, to the point that parked vehicles were becoming submerged.  After moving some vehicles belonging to himself and a colleague, Mr Riley noticed another car at a nearby intersection, with water up to the middle of the doors.  A person inside the car was waving for help.  Mr Riley, assisted by another person, took some rope and waded toward the car, but was forced to retreat when the water became waist deep.  By then, water had started to pour over the roof of the car and the torrent lifted and moved it several times, about 30 metres along the flood way.  Obtaining more rope, which was tied around Mr Riley at one end and a street sign at the other, Mr Riley moved through the water to the car.  He assisted a pregnant woman from the car, and a man who was with her followed, hanging onto the rope to reach safe ground.

Detective Sergeant Peter John ROBSON-PETCH, Queensland Police

On 16 May 2010, Detective Sergeant Peter Robson-Petch evacuated the occupants of a burning building in Red Hill, Brisbane.  Detective Sergeant Robson-Petch, off duty at the time, was driving along Musgrave Road when he saw smoke coming from the second storey of a hostel.  He stopped and ran toward the building, climbing over a locked gate en route.  He entered the front hallway, covered his mouth with a wet shirt and began searching the building for occupants.  Although the top floor was well alight and filled with acrid smoke, he found several people there and assisted them outside.  Re-entering the building, he checked that the top floor was clear and then went downstairs where he found several other people, who were dazed and confused, congregated in a living room.  He assisted this group out through a rear exit.  Before seeking medical attention for himself, Detective Sergeant Robson-Petch assisted firefighters with their hoses.  He was later hospitalised for smoke inhalation and burns to the back of his throat.

Mr Ronald Lloyd SCHEUERLE, 31 Weise Street, Oakey Qld 4401

On 10 June 2011, Mr Ronald Scheuerle, aged 83, assisted in the rescue of a woman and a child from a burning house at Oakey. Alerted by smoke on his way to a nearby meeting in Oakey, Mr Scheuerle and an acquaintance went to investigate and found smoke coming from a two storey timber house. Unsure if the house was occupied, Mr Scheuerle went the rear of the property to search for occupants, whilst his acquaintance started at the front of the house.  As fire engulfed the building, Mr Scheuerle moved to the front of the house and helped care for a distraught woman and child, the two occupants of the house who had been brought outside, until the fire brigade arrived.

Station Officer Bernard William TRACEY, Townsville Qld 4810

On 12 December 2010, Station Officer Bernard Tracey attempted to rescue a girl who was trapped in a flooded creek in Townsville.  He and two colleagues arrived at Alligator Creek following heavy rain, where friends of the girl pointed to a rocky area where she was trapped and submerged.  After anchoring a safety line, Station Officer Tracey and one of his colleagues entered the water several times to try and free the girl.  When, with darkness falling, their attempts were unsuccessful and they realised the girl was unlikely to be alive, Station Officer Tracey led the girl’s friends across the creek to the rescue command post.  The following morning, he joined other rescue personnel to retrieve the girl’s body.

Mr Sam Ash-Lee TWEEDALE, North Lakes Qld 4509

On 15 May 2012, Mr Sam Tweedale saved a child from a burning house at Eight Mile Plains.
Mr Tweedale was at home when a woman’s screams alerted him to a neighbour’s house being on fire.  Running to assist, Mr Tweedale became aware that the woman’s son was in the burning building.  He attempted to gain entry to the house through both the front door and the garage but was forced back by intense heat and smoke.  Mr Tweedale then ran to a side entrance and kicked the heavy duty, and deadlocked screen door sufficiently to crack the frame, before ripping the door open far enough to allow the man to escape.

Dr Joe William WEIR, Oakey Qld 4401

On 6 February 2006, Dr Joe Weir rescued a man from a vehicle that was sinking in a dam at Gumlu.  Dr Weir was travelling on the Bruce Highway when the driver of the vehicle in front of him lost control, crashing bonnet first into Wilson’s Creek.  Dr Weir stopped, ran to the creek and saw that water had covered the vehicle’s bonnet and was rising quickly.  He entered the water and swam 30 metres to the vehicle.  The elderly driver’s door was jammed, and Dr Weir was unable to open it.  Instead, he opened a rear door, and when the driver was able to float to the back seat, Dr Weir pulled him out of the vehicle and held his head above water, pulling him to safety as the vehicle sank.

Senior Constable Kristie WILLIAMS, Queensland Police

On 13 May 2012, Senior Constable (then Constable) Kristie Williams prevented a woman from committing self harm on Mornington Island.  The woman, who was intoxicated, had been seen climbing a decommissioned thirty metre water tower.  Senior Constable Williams and a colleague saw the woman sitting on the edge of one of the water tanks.  She told them she was going to drown herself and jumped into the tank.  Senior Constable Williams and her colleague quickly climbed over a three metre barbed wire perimeter fence and scaled the water tower and an uncaged tank ladder.  They pulled the woman from the water and lifted her onto the tank platform.  When the woman attempted to jump from the platform, they held her arms and dragged her back from the edge, pacifying her before they descended the tower.

Mr Brendan William WINTER, Dalby Qld 4405

On 14 December 2010, Mr Brendan Winter protected customers of a bank in Dalby after an armed robber entered the premises.  Mr Winter, the bank manager, was alerted by another staff member to a man, who was carrying what looked like a handgun and an explosive device.  Engaging the offender, Mr Winter obtained his permission to lock the front doors to prevent other persons from entering the bank.  He attempted to negotiate the release of a woman and two children who were in the customer area, motioning them toward the door, but the offender panicked, pointed the gun at them and told them to remain.  Mr Winter then ordered staff to activate alarms and security screens which caused the offender to be isolated in the customer area.  Unable to proceed with the robbery, the offender left, and was shortly afterwards arrested by police. 

Awardees comprise of members of the public who rescued two people from a submerged vehicle at Broadbeach Waters, Queensland on 10 June 2012.

Mr John CHAMBERS

Mr Evan Dougald DALTON

Ms Tanya Maree MATHEWS

Mr Steven Samual PRICE

On 10 June 2012, several members of the public became aware of an incident in which an elderly man had lost control of his vehicle and driven it down an embankment at high speed before it crashed into the Broadbeach canal.  They entered the canal to reach the vehicle which, with the driver and a passenger, was already half-filled with water.  Attempting to drag the vehicle out of the canal, they managed to open the rear hatch.  The occupants tried to escape but the vehicle quickly sank.  One member of the group dived under the water several times until he was able to take hold of the passenger and pull her to safety.  He and another member of the group managed to open the rear door and pull the driver from the cabin and then to shore, where he was given CPR until the arrival of ambulance personnel.

Awardees comprise of three young boys who went to the assistance of a girl from an offender at Palm Island, Queensland on 12 May 2011.

Master Harry Frederick FRIDAY

Master Ralph Paul HUGHES

Master Carey Lenny NUGENT

On 12 May 2011, Ralph Hughes, Harry Friday, and Carey Nugent, then 11, 12 and 15 years of age respectively, rescued a girl from a known criminal offender on Palm Island.  The offender had persuaded the three boys and the girl to follow him to a house.  There, he sent the boys outside but when the girl tried to leave, he seized her and pulled her inside.  After the man closed the door, the boys managed to open the door and pull the girl out to safety.

Awardees comprise of Royal Australian Navy personnel involved in the winch rescue of a man from floodwaters at Laidley Creek during the Queensland floods on 11 January 2011.

Petty Officer Nicholas Edward ANDERSON

Chief Petty Officer Kerwyn Louis BALLICO

Lieutenant Simon Paul DRIESSEN

Commander Scott Christopher PALMER

On the evening of 11 January 2011, the crew of a Navy Sea King Helicopter were conduction evacuation operations in response to the flash flooding at Laidley when they spotted a man being swept along Laidley Creek.  The crew elected to attempt a winch rescue as the man continued to be swept along the swollen creek.  One of the crew members was lowered down to a point approximately 3 feet above the stranded man however, was unable to grab hold of him.  As the man in the water was swept towards a tree, the pilot of the helicopter manoeuvred the craft away, moving the crew man on the rope out of its path.  The stricken man then managed to grab hold of the tree and pull himself out of the water into the tree canopy.  This allowed the crew man on the rope to be lowered into the tree and, after calming the man, connect a harness to him.  The two men were then winched up into the helicopter to safety.

Awardee assisted of members of the Queensland Police Public Safety Response Team who conducted rescue operations during the Queensland Floods in the Lockyer Valley in January 2011

Mr Anthony James ALTHAUS

On the evening of 10 January 2011, thirteen members of the Police Public Safety Response Team were deployed to assist with the significant flooding event in the Lockyer Valley.  In darkness, and in major storm conditions, they negotiated damaged bridges and flooded roads, where they encountered large piles of debris, downed trees and powerlines.  As they approached Grantham, they were held back by a vast expanse of high flood water.  Assisted by a council driver with a front end loader, some of the officers climbed into the bucket while others held onto the outside of the vehicle as it was driven into the water. They got out of the loader to search damaged houses and submerged vehicles for any missing or trapped people.  After the officers completed their search of Grantham, at about 5:00am on 11 January, they redeployed to Murphy’s Creek and later to Postman’s Ridge where they continued to search for people along creeks and rivers.  Despite a severe weather warning that further major flash flooding was likely, the officers continued their operations and located several people.  At Postman’s Ridge, the officers conducted door-to-door checks and advised the community about the latest severe weather warning.  The team worked continuously for 24 hours.