THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA ANNUAL BRAVERY AWARDS PRESENTATION

THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA ANNUAL BRAVERY AWARDS PRESENTATION

Eighteen Victorians will be presented with bravery awards of
The Royal Humane Society of Australasia.

Media arrive for entry at 10.30am (with media accreditation)

The Society awards – 4 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Medals and 11
Certificates of Merit - will be presented by
The Honourable Linda Dessau AM, Governor of Victoria.

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Awards recognise rescues from:

• assault and armed assailants
• car accidents
• a gas explosion
• rescues from the sea and rivers

Details of the rescues are attached.

Contact:
Sue Cutler (Secretary and Office Manager)
(03) 9125 4408
03 9125 4408
Or visit our Website: www.rhsa.org.au

Upon arrival, media will be escorted to a dedicated area in the State Drawing Room which provides an excellent vantage point to observe official proceedings. Members of the media are required to stay inside the allocated area until the conclusion of official proceedings.

THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA AWARD RECIPIENTS 2015/2016

To receive the Bronze Medal

1. KASUN FERNANDO, of Clyde North, Victoria

in going to the rescue of the staff of a takeaway restaurant from an armed assailant in Mulgrave, Victoria on 12 November 2012.

At 12.30am Messrs Fernando and Wickramathunga were in a takeaway restaurant when an armed offender with a sawn off bolt action rifle entered the store. The offender approached the counter and pointed the firearm at the male manager behind the counter and demanded cash from all the cash registers.

He then approached Messrs Fernando and Wickramathunga and pointed the gun at them, demanding their wallets which they gave to the offender.

The offender commenced to remove the cash from the till tray and bent down to place the cash into a blue bag on the floor. Whilst he was bending down Mr Fernando took the opportunity to approach the accused from behind and tackled him to the ground with the help of Mr Wickramathunga who threw the firearm out of reach. Other staff then came around the counter and assisted in subduing the accused.

(Mr Wickramathunga received his award at a previous investiture)

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To receive the Certificate of Merit

2. KELVIN PETERSON, of Dandenong North, Victoria

in going to the apprehension of an armed assailant who had threatened a number of people with a knife at Ascot Vale, Victoria on 29 September 2008.

At about 10.30am a man committed an armed robbery at the Ascot Vale post office and then ran off outside into the street.

Mr Peterson heard a lot of screaming and came out from his house and was warned by others that the assailant had a knife. Mr Peterson joined in the chase until the armed assailant, exhausted, stopped and told the men to take the money and to let him go.

Mr Peterson together with three other men pulled the assailant down onto the ground and restrained him until the police arrived.

(The other three men involved in this incident have already been presented with their awards)

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To receive the Certificate of Merit

3. KEBRASCA KING, of Docklands, Victoria

in going to the rescue of a man from drowning in the Yarra River, Docklands on 2 November 2014.

At 9.00am a man lost control of a drone near the Yarra’s Edge Marina and it dropped into the water about 15m from the river bank. The man jumped into the water fully clothed to retrieve the drone but soon started to struggle to stay afloat.

Mr King saw the man struggling and ran to the bank and entered the water. He swam to the man and brought him to the river bank where he was assisted by others to drag the man up onto a grassy area.

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To receive the Certificate of Merit

4. MICHAEL JOHN TYRRELL, of Abbotsford, Victoria
5. SHAUN YATES, of Wantirna South, Victoria

To receive the Bronze Medal

6. CAMERON WHITE, of Mont Albert North, Victoria

in going to the rescue of a girl from being sexually assaulted at Ringwood, Victoria, on 8 September 2014.

At 4.15pm a school girl was tackled to the ground by a man whilst threatening her with a knife and he then proceeded to sexually assault her.

Messrs Tyrrell, Yates and White all witnessed the attack. They observed that the offender had a knife and was holding it to the girl’s throat. When all three men challenged the offender, he jumped off the girl and threatened all three men with the knife.

The male offender walked off towards his home and Mr White followed him and waited for the police to arrive to apprehend the offender.

Messrs Tyrrell and Yates also drove to the offender’s address, helped with identification of the offender and assisted with the welfare of the girl.

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To receive the Certificate of Merit

7. LIAM GRIGG, of Kew, Victoria
8. JACK O’SULLIVAN, of Armadale, Victoria
9. ALASTAIR FIRTH, of Rosebud West, Victoria

in going to the rescue of a man from drowning at Koonya Beach, Blairgowrie, Victoria, on 30 December 2015.

At 4.15pm a man had gone for a swim and was pulled 500m out to sea.

Messrs Firth, O’Sullivan and Grigg noticed the man drifting away from shore and with boogie boards swam out into the water which had a strong undertow.

The three men swam 600m from shore and helped the man onto a boogie board. He was too exhausted to hold himself on the board so the three men held him onto the board and protected him from the waves which kept washing over his face.

The three men used the aid of the float and a second board to negotiate the rip and gradually made their way back to shore against the tide and undertow.

(Mr O’Sullivan’s could not attend today’s investiture and his brother Tom will receive the award on his behalf)

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To receive the Certificate of Merit

10. TONY FERRARA, of Epping, Victoria
11. ROSS GALBRAITH, of Vermont, Victoria

in going to the rescue of a woman who was attacked by a man at Richmond, Victoria, on 27 February 2015.

At 9.20am a woman was walking along the street when a man followed her and grabbed her handbag. The attacker dragged the woman across the street to a nearby laneway.

Messrs Ferrara and Galbraith heard the woman’s screams for help and yelled at the attacker to let her go.

Messrs Ferrara and Galbraith grabbed the man by each arm and struggled with him as they pulled him away from the woman. They managed to overpower the man and restrained him on the ground until the police arrived.

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To receive the Certificate of Merit

12. RICHARD ASHLEIGH COLLIER, of Flinders, Victoria

in going to the rescue of a man from a crashed and burning car at Main Ridge, Victoria, on 27 January 2015.

At 7.30am a man was driving when his car left the road and collided with a tree.

Mr Collier stopped to render assistance and opened the driver’s side door. Mr Collier laid back the driver’s seat, reached in and pulled the man towards him with one arm under each shoulder. Mr Collier managed to get the man’s upper body out but his legs and feet were tangled in the wires of the broken steering wheel.

Mr Collier called out to his wife and another man who had stopped to help and they were able to drag the man 10m away from the crashed and burning car.

By the time emergency services arrived the car was totally engulfed in flames and sadly the driver died at the scene.

To receive the Silver Medal

13. EMMA QUICK
14. VARLI BLAKE
15. ANTHONY SCULLY
16. ANDREW WOOD

To receive the Bronze Medal

17. WAYNE SHERIDAN

To receive the Certificate of Merit

18. ANDREW McMAHON

in going to the rescue of a suicidal person and emergency services personnel following a gas explosion at Middle Park on 4 January 2014.

At 9.00pm First Class Constables Quick and Blake were tasked to attend a unit in Middle Park to conduct a welfare check on a resident who had threatened suicide. They were later met by Sgt Scully and Metropolitan Fire Brigade personnel, Messrs Wood Sheridan and McMahon who gained entry to the flat.

At the time it was unknown to the police or the firemen that the person threatening suicide had sealed a door with gaffer tape and released gas from a 9kg gas bottle into the sealed room that he was in.

In order to gain entry to the room Sgt Scully forced the door which released the gas into the remainder of the unit. The danger was recognised by Fireman Wood and an urgent evacuation was ordered. Unfortunately however the gas cylinder exploded which caused injuries to First Class Constables Quick, Blake, Sgt Scully and Fireman Wood and Sheridan.

Immediately after the explosion First Constable Quick was trapped on the balcony of the units and was screaming for assistance due to severe burns. Fireman Wood climbed a ladder and reassured First Class Constable Quick that she could climb down the ladder and assisted her to the car park below and rendered first aid and oxygen.