Published on Thursday, 9 November 2023 at 11:31:00 AM
Six current or former Town of Port Hedland staff were honoured at the Royal Life Saving WA Port Hedland Bravery Awards on Wednesday.
Julian Olivier and Bethany Denney received Gold Star Bravery Awards while Stelian Georgiev, Jessica Easey, Aman Banfal and Hayley Marlow were recipients of Gold Medallion Bravery Awards.
Mayor Peter Carter paid tribute to the award-winners for their efforts.
“I applaud all the recipients of the awards for their poise and selflessness in emergency situations which helped prevent potential tragedies,” Mayor Carter said.
“They should all be proud of their efforts. The Hedland community is certainly proud of them.”
Julian was acknowledged for performing an aquatic rescue at South Hedland Aquatic Centre in February this year.
While on duty as a lifeguard, Julian recognised a swimmer had gotten out of their depth, begun to panic and drown.
Julian entered the water and performed the rescue, with the swimmer making a full recovery.
Bethany was on her first shift as a lifeguard in September, 2022, when she noticed a young child fall at the South Hedland Aquatic Centre.
Beth realised the child was having a seizure and initiated the Town’s emergency response process – providing first aid, assistance and care to the child and their mother while maintaining clear communication with her teammates before handing over care once paramedics arrived.
Stelian, Jessica, Aman and Hayley were working at Gratwick Aquatic Centre in November, 2022, and responded after a mother accidentally locked her young child inside her car, with the keys, in the middle of a hot day. Given the extreme temperature on the day, the team had to act decisively until paramedics arrived.
They provided care for the mother and a child who was not locked inside the car, before ultimately evacuating the Centre to better focus on the incident. Police and paramedics arrived to break into the car and perform the rescue, while the other staff tended to the mother and second child.
The Royal Life Saving WA Bravery Awards recognise and acknowledge the efforts and actions of everyday people who have performed a rescue and/or resuscitation, applying their knowledge to save another's life.
The awards were presented at a ceremony on the Civic Gardens in Port Hedland on Wednesday afternoon.
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