Australian Bravery Decorations March 2023

The Governor joins with the Governor-General of Australia in commending the actions of 7 outstanding and courageous Western Australians, announced in the Australian Bravery Decorations list.

Acting alone or as part of a group, a total of 66 Decorations have been awarded in recognition of Australians who put themselves in danger to help others in need.

On behalf of the Governor-General, the Governor of Western Australia is pleased to announce the following award recipients:

 

Bravery Medal (BM)

 

Mr Nicholas Andrew Austin

Mr Nicholas Austin displayed considerable bravery for his actions during the attempted rescue of a kite surfer in Geraldton, Western Australia on 20 October 2016.

Shortly after 4:00pm, Mr Nicholas Austin and another male were kitesurfing off Point Moore when they saw another kiter enter a ‘death loop’ as his kite spiralled uncontrollably several hundred metres offshore.

The other male surfed over to the struggling man and made several attempts to stop the man being pulled through the water.

Mr Austin pulled at the safety cord to disconnect the kite. He then swam over and grabbed the kite to release the tension on the lines, but neither worked.

Mr Austin surfed away a short distance to unsheathe his hook knife before returning and cutting the lines connecting the kite to the man, causing the kite to fly away. The man was face down in the water and not moving.

The two men agreed that Mr Austin would surf back to shore to ensure help was on the way and the other kiter would stay with the man.

After approximately one hour, a volunteer marine rescue boat arrived and took the man back to shore. Unfortunately, the man did not survive.

Mr Michael Robert King

Mr Michael King displayed considerable bravery for his actions rescuing an elderly resident from a house fire in Katanning, Western Australia on 5 September 2019.

At approximately 7:00am, Mr Michael King and another man were heading to work when they came across a house fire. They were informed that an elderly woman was inside the burning building.

Others in the area attempted to gain access to the property through the front door, but were forced back by heat and flames.

Mr King and the others looked through windows to try and locate the woman. He used a steel bar to break a side window and entered the building. He found the woman in an adjacent room, carried her back to the window, and passed her to the others who were waiting outside.

Emergency services arrived soon after and took control of the scene. Mr King was taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation.

Mr Melwin (Mesut) Polat

Mr Melwin (Mesut) Polat displayed considerable bravery for his actions rescuing a woman from a burning vehicle in Carlisle, Western Australia on 12 February 2022.

At approximately 12:00am, Mr Melwin (Mesut) Polat was stopped in his vehicle at a railway crossing when he noticed that the interior of the vehicle behind him was on fire, with a woman inside.

Mr Polat got out of his vehicle and approached the burning vehicle when it exploded, spreading flames and forcing him back. He continued toward the vehicle and called out to the woman, but she was unresponsive.

Mr Polat attempted to open the driver’s door but it was locked. The window was partially open but the heat and flames prevented him from reaching inside.

A passer-by gave Mr Polat a motorbike glove, allowing him to reach through the window. He unlocked and opened the door, unbuckled her seat belt, and removed her from the vehicle.

Mr Polat, and others, took the woman away from the vehicle to a safe distance.

Emergency services arrived shortly after and took control of the scene.

Mr Rupert John Rudd

Mr Rupert Rudd displayed considerable bravery for his actions during the apprehension of an armed offender in Yokine, Western Australia on 21 October 2016.

At approximately 6:30pm, Mr Rupert Rudd was at his unit complex when he heard a commotion nearby. Mr Rudd left his apartment to investigate, and saw a woman being chased by an offender armed with a knife and tomahawk.

The woman took shelter from the offender behind Mr Rudd. Mr Rudd stood his ground between the woman and the offender, as the agitated man asked him to move out of the way.  Suddenly the offender struck Mr Rudd in the face with the tomahawk, before the woman moved into a nearby unit and Mr Rudd retreated into his unit.

Another resident heard the commotion and following a struggle, apprehended the offender.

Emergency services arrived shortly after and took control of the scene.

 

Commendation for Brave Conduct

 

Mr Trevor Thomas Parminter

Mr Trevor Parminter is commended for brave conduct for his actions during the rescue of a woman from a burning vehicle in Wickepin, Western Australia on 10 February 2021.

At approximately 2:30pm, Mr Trevor Parminter was driving in convoy with a colleague when they came across a car which had crashed into a tree and was ablaze. This disturbed and agitated a number of bees.

Mr Parminter could see a woman still in the car, and he and his colleague stopped their vehicles and ran over to the car. Mr Parminter and his colleague stabilised the woman, then removed her from the burning vehicle.

Mr Parminter used his hand to put out the woman’s burning clothes while his colleague helped with first aid. He and his colleague rendered first aid until emergency services arrived and took control of the scene. Mr Parminter was transported to hospital for burns and a significant number of bee stings.

Leading Seaman Trent Traynor

Leading Seaman Trent Traynor is commended for brave conduct for his actions during a submarine fire in Rockingham, Western Australia on 8 April 2021.

In the evening, Leading Seaman Trent Traynor was on duty in HMAS Waller stationed at Fleet Base West, when a fire broke out in the aft auxiliary machinery space.

As a member of the firefighting party, Leading Seaman Traynor and his team entered the compartment but were unable to identify the source of the fire, and so the officer of the day flooded the compartment with halon.

Approximately two hours later, a more intense fire broke out in the same place. Leading Seaman Traynor and a colleague re-entered the compartment and were met with thick smoke and extreme heat, with visibility further impacted by limited emergency lighting. They determined the fire was being fed by compressed air bottles that could explode at any time.

Leading Seaman Traynor’s colleague reached through the fire to isolate the air bursts. Leading Seaman Traynor and his colleague then used halon fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire.

 

Group Bravery Citation

The following recipient is added to the Group Bravery Citation gazetted on 16 March 2022.

 

Mr Zhenbo Fang

The recipients are recognised with the award of the Group Bravery Citation for their actions during the rescue of people from burning vehicles in Breton Bay, Western Australia on 27 August 2019.

At about 6.30pm, two cars collided on Indian Ocean Drive, trapping both drivers. A fire started in one of the damaged vehicles.

Four passing motorists stopped to render assistance and were later joined by two police officers. An attempt was made to smash the driver’s window of the car on fire. A fire extinguisher was sourced and used on the flames with little effect. One motorist broke a rear window and discovered the interior was filled with pieces of wood. Together with a second motorist they began to remove the wood but were forced back due to the flames and heat. A police officer emptied a second fire extinguisher on the flames, which continued to intensify.

A second attempt smashed the driver’s window and an unconscious driver was located. A police officer emptied a second fire extinguisher, but the increasing intensity of the flames and heat forced everyone back.

By this time the second vehicle was on fire. One motorist spoke to the driver who indicated that he was trapped. Working together the motorists and police officers prised open the driver’s door, cut the man from his seatbelt, and dragged him out of the wreckage to a safe distance.

A short time later a small explosion occurred and the second vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. Sadly, the driver of the first car perished at the scene.

 

 

 

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