March 2004
BRAVERY MEDAL
Miss Monika Beata Bielski
On the afternoon of 20 October 2002, Ms Bielski helped to rescue a young child who had been stabbed by a man in Cairns, Queensland.
Miss Bielski was having lunch by the Little Musgrave River when she heard a woman's cries for help from the other side of the river. Miss Bielski then saw a woman carrying a toddler in her arms and another young child running beside her. Miss Bielski entered the river and swam across to the woman and the children, where she was told that a man had just stabbed the younger child. Although aware that an armed man was in the area, Miss Bielski put aside fears for her own safety and helped the woman and children along the riverbank until they came to a shallow part of the river. Miss Bielski then took the badly injured child and carried her across the river to a nearby hotel to await the arrival of emergency services. Miss Bielski also comforted the victim's four year-old brother until ambulances arrived at the scene.
By her actions, Miss Bielski displayed considerable bravery.
COMMENDATION FOR BRAVE CONDUCT
Mr Christopher Charters
On the morning of 26 November 2002, Mr Charters rescued a man from a sinking car in the Brisbane River, Queensland. Mr Charters was pushing his bike along Kingsford Smith Drive when he heard a crash. A Brisbane City Council dual cab utility had been struck from behind by a truck, forcing it through a barrier fence and into the Brisbane River, a drop of approximately four metres. Mr Charters and another man immediately entered the river and were able to pull open a door and help the driver of the vehicle to safety. A passenger in the back of the utility was able to free himself. Mr Charters and the man were then told there was another passenger in the utility, which was sinking rapidly. They tried to rescue the remaining passenger, but were unable to do so as his legs were trapped. Tragically, the passenger died. For his actions, Mr Charters is commended for brave conduct.
Ms Judith Ann Christensen
On the afternoon of 20 October 2002, Ms Christensen helped to rescue her young granddaughter who had been stabbed by a man in Cairns, Queensland. Ms Christensen took her two young grandchildren for a picnic by the Little Musgrave River. When the picnic was over they walked up the riverbank to their car with Ms Christensen's two-year-old granddaughter leading the way. Once Ms Christensen reached the top of the bank she saw a man kneeling over the little girl, pulling a long-bladed knife from the toddler's back. Ms Christensen ran at the man, screaming and placing herself between him and her granddaughter. Ms Christensen then picked up the child and her four year-old grandson and ran towards the river calling for help, believing the man was trying to kill them. A woman on the other side of the river swam across and helped Ms Christensen and the children to cross the river. For her actions, Ms Christensen is commended for brave conduct.
Mr Leo Jonathon Rebel-Leisha
Details not available at request of Mr Rebel-Leisha.
Mr Charles Stanley Tilse
On the morning of 7 December 2000, Mr Tilse helped extinguish flames after a colleague's clothes caught fire at Toolakea Beach Road, Queensland. Mr Tilse and two other volunteer members of the Toolakea Rural Fire Brigade were preparing to conduct a controlled burn-off at the local Girl Guides Group's camping ground. Their initial attempts to start a fire were unsuccessful because of heavy dew so Mr Tilse was instructed to empty the fuel from his drip torch on the area to be burned, while another colleague obtained a can of fuel from the fire tender. Mr Tilse's colleague was unaware that a seam on the corner of the fuel can had split, allowing fuel to drip onto his trousers and onto the ground. Within seconds, he was enveloped by flames. Mr Tilse immediately knocked his colleague to the ground, covering the man's torso with his own body, thus smothering flames in that area. Their other colleague doused the flames on the man's legs by pouring water from canvas water bags onto them. For his actions, Mr Tilse is commended for brave conduct.
GROUP BRAVERY CITATION
Mr Derek Percival Bedford (Queensland) - former member of the NSW State Emergency Service
Late on the night of 19 November 2000 and into the morning of the following day, members of the New South Wales State Emergency Service, a member of the Rural Fire Service and a member of the community, assisted in the evacuation and rescue of residents during a flash flood in the northern New South Wales town of Nundle.
Torrential rain started falling in the Nundle area late at night and within a short time local creeks were flooding. The Nundle area branch of the State Emergency Service was receiving calls for help from local residents stranded by the rapidly rising floodwaters. With only the light of their vehicles to guide them and with the ever-present danger of logs and other potentially lethal debris flowing through the floodwaters, the group worked to evacuate and rescue residents, trapped in their homes, and colleagues, whose rescue vehicles were caught in the floodwaters. Their efforts continued throughout the night.
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