February 2006
STAR OF COURAGE
Mr Rodney Joseph FIECHTNER, deceased
On the morning of 7 April 2003, Mr Fiechtner attempted to prevent an explosion from a gas leak on a drilling rig at Myall Creek, Surat, Queensland.
Mr Fiechtner, a rig manager, was on site, located midway between the drilling rig and demountable huts used for meals and accommodation, when an uncontrolled release of natural gas occurred without warning on the rig. Flames engulfed the area. Two men who were working on the rig were seriously injured, while others received burns. Despite the risks of approaching the rig carrier, Mr Fiechtner unhesitatingly ran to the area to try switch off the diesel engines. He was aware that members of his drilling crew were close to where an explosion was likely to occur and that shutting down the engines reduced the risk of flames igniting the gas cloud. Tragically, when Mr Fiechtner attempted to shut down the engines, there was an explosion and he died as a result of serious burn injuries.
By his actions, Mr Fiechtner displayed conspicuous courage, thereby losing his life.
Mrs Alicia Violet SOROHAN
In the early morning of 11 October 2004, Mrs Sorohan saved a man who had been seized by a crocodile at Bathurst Day, Cape Yorke Peninsula, Queensland.
Mrs Sorohan was camping with family and friends at Bathurst Bay and was woken at about 4am by a man's screams. She went to investigate and found that a crocodile was attacking a male friend who was sleeping in the tent nearby. The man's wife had grabbed him around the shoulders and was trying to pull him free, but the crocodile retained its hold and dragged the man from the tent. Without hesitation, Mrs Sorohan, who was sixty years old at the time, jumped on the crocodile's back to try to distract it. The crocodile let go of the man, threw back its head and broke Mrs Sorohan's nose, causing her to fall over. The crocodile, which weighed 300kg and was about 4.2 metres long, seized Mrs Sorohan by the arm and started thrashing about. Mrs Sorohan's son, who had grabbed a pistol, then shot the crocodile several times. Mrs Sorohan suffered lacerations and a fractured arm in the incident.
By her actions, Mrs Sorohan displayed conspicuous courage.
BRAVERY MEDAL
Mr Linton Charles JONES
On the morning of 24 April 2004, Mr Jones went to the aid of a woman who was being abducted in Surfers Paradise, Queensland.
Mr Jones was woken at about 3.15am by a woman's screams and, from the balcony of his 6th floor unit, saw a man reaching into the back seat of his car across the street. Mr Jones ran to the car and confronted the man, who appeared to be attempting to hide something underneath a blanket. As he tried to see what the man was doing, the man began to punch him. A young woman, who had been under the blanket, took this opportunity to escape through the open car door. Mr Jones then tried to prevent the man from escaping, as he jumped into his car and drove off. The woman was treated for shock and knife wounds to her hands.
By his actions, Mr Jones showed considerable bravery.
Mr Ian Sherran SOUTER
At around midday on 23 March 2005, Mr Souter helped rescue a woman from a burning vehicle after a collision with a semi-trailer on McClelland Drive at Langwarrin, Victoria.
Mr Souter was driving when he stopped to assist at an accident between a semi-trailer and a station wagon. He ran to the car, which was on fire, and found an injured female driver trapper in her seat. He entered the car on the passenger side and attempted to put out the flames using a blanket and then fire extinguishers. This reduced the flames but did not extinguish them. He saw the woman's legs were burning and went around to the driver's side and used his foot to try and break the seat to free her. The fire flared up again and became very intense, so Mr Souter again went to the passenger side and, with new extinguishers handed to him, attempted to dowse the fire. When he saw that another man was trying to pull the woman out from the back seat, Mr Souter reached down and pulled one of her legs free. When the woman and the other man fell out of the car, Mr Souter carried the woman to safety and then helped the man who had pulled her out. The car was shortly afterwards engulfed in flames.
By his actions, Mr Souter displayed considerable bravery.
COMMENDATION FOR BRAVE CONDUCT
Mr Matthew Benjamin DEARLOVE
In the early morning of 7 November 2004, Mr Dearlove rescued a woman from a vehicle caught in floodwaters at Mundaloon, Queensland.
The car, with one female driver in it, was submerged to its headlights in very fast flowing floodwater that extended 60 to 80 metres across the road. The driver of the car was in imminent danger as the water was gradually pushing her car off the road. Mr Dearlove, a tow truck driver, was advised that the Fire Brigade could not attend for some time and, although warned by the police that it would be a risky undertaking, immediately agreed to drive his truck into the water to reach the trapped driver. The force of the water buffeted Mr Dearlove's truck and made its rear end slide sideways but he was able to draw up beside the car, allowing a police officer to pull the woman through her car window and onto the truck's tray. Mr Dearlove then drove through the water to the other side of the flooded section of the road and, when the water subsided to a safer level, brought the woman back across to the waiting emergency services vehicles.
For his actions, Mr Dearlove is commended for brave conduct.
Sergeant Robert Alexander DUNCAN
In the early morning of Sunday 7 November 2004, Sergeant Duncan helped rescue a woman from a vehicle caught in floodwaters at Mundaloon, Queensland.
Sergeant Duncan was advised of a vehicle caught in floodwaters on Mundaloon Road at Mundaloon. The car and its female driver were trapped in the very fast flowing floodwater that extended 60 to 80 metres over the road. Observing that the woman was in imminent danger of being pushed off the road by the waters, and having been advised that the Fire Brigade could not attend for some time, Sergeant Duncan sought the assistance of a tow truck driver to drive into the water to reach the woman. The force of the water buffeted the truck and made its rear end slide sideways, but the driver managed to draw up beside the car. Sergeant Duncan, riding on the back of the truck, was able to pull the woman to safety through her car window and onto the truck's tray.
For his actions, Sergeant Duncan is commended for brave conduct.
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