Bravery Awards for Mohammad Al Zaidy and Youssef Tawk

Six people of Victoria will be presented with bravery awards of The Royal Humane Society of Australasia, tomorrow, Thursday 26 November.

Mohammad Al Zaidy and Youssef Tawk, both residents of Reservoir, will be awarded BRONZE MEDAL, each, for trying to rescue a man trapped in a crashed and burning car at Preston on 23 February 2019.

At 3.00am a driver lost control of his vehicle and it slid into the rear of a parked truck with the driver’s side impacting heavily and coming to rest under the tray of the truck.

Both Al Zaidy and Tawk were nearby when the incident occurred and they approached the vehicle and noted that the front seat passenger was unconscious.

A fire had started in the car and was gaining momentum and began to intrude into the cabin of the vehicle, producing excessive heat and toxic smoke.

Al Zaidy reached into the vehicle and undid the passenger seatbelt and then with the assistance of Tawk, extricated the passenger from the vehicle.

Within seconds the vehicle was engulfed in flames and Al Zaidy and Tawk dragged the unconscious passenger further away fearing that the vehicle might explode.

Sadly, the driver passed away at the scene, a fact which dampens just a bit the spirit of bravery awards.

The awards will be given away via a Virtual Ceremony at 11.00am, tomorrow, by Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria.

Other Victorian residents include Cooper Sampson of Newlands Arm for rescuing two children aged 6 and 7 years, from drowning in the sea at Forge Creek on 29 December 2018.

Cooper, who is himself aged 7 years, will receive the 2020 RUPERT WILKS TROPHY and Certificate of Merit, for the most outstanding act of bravery by a child 12 years or under.

Emily Bartley will receive the POSTHUMOUS MEDAL, for giving up her life in trying to rescue others following a crash between a car and a motorcycle at Wantirna South, Vic on 25 September 2018.

Ms Bartley stopped her car and went and stood on the roadway in front of the crashed car to communicate with the occupants when another vehicle that was travelling west in the right lane fatally struck her.

Ms Bartley was thrown 10-20m west of the crashed car and came to rest on the right hand west bound lane.

Although, Clint Donnelly of Wantirna attended to Ms Bartley whilst she was on the road and performed CPR until the arrival of ambulance crews, unfortunately Ms Bartley was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ms Bartley was trying to help a motorcyclist who had crashed. He was also pronounced dead at the scene.

Donnelly will receive the BRONZE MEDAL for his efforts in trying to save Ms Bartley.

The GOLD MEDAL will be received by Luke Chilcott of Wangaratta for going to the rescue and aid of a woman and her four children from an armed assailant at Wangaratta on 25 April 2017.

The assailant was the woman’s partner and in possession of a high calibre hunting rifle.

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The woman and her four children took refuge in the main bedroom of Chilcott’s house whilst Chilcott barricaded the front door of the house to prevent entry by the man. However, the man smashed the lounge room window and then entered the house.

Chilcott continued to prevent the man from progressing through the house and attempted to negotiate with him whilst having the rifle pointed at his chest.

Chilcott ceased his advance on the man only after he believed he was going to be shot, but continued to negotiate with him.

The man continued to walk through the house looking for his partner who had barricaded herself in the main boardroom.

At this stage Chilcott did a quick check of his family, his wife was behind him at the bottom of the hallway and his two boys were in the TV Room. He saw that the man was at the door of the master bedroom which was shut and he was kicking it.

Chilcott approached the man and told him to calm down, when the man turned to face Chilcott and cocked he firearm and pointed it at him and told him to “Back Off”.

Chilcott heard one of his son’s saying “They’re out”. Chilcott ran to his sons in the TV room and saw the neighbour’s four children running past as well as his own wife. Chilcott and his two sons followed them out of the house through a sliding door.

They then heard three gunshots in quick succession as they turned into the next street and hid behind a big fence.

They were then taken in by a nearby neighbour until the police arrived.

Well done all the winners of bravery awards. Presentation – virtual – will be different but all the same in its recognition and significance.

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