Maryborough pair's heroics recognised

TWO Maryborough people have been honoured for saving a truck driver’s life after it crashed on Bendigo-Maryborough Road earlier this year.Jason Stone and Gabrielle Jones came across the semi-trailer, which had crashed and was on fire, about 8.30pm on Saturday, March 12.Last week the pair were among 17 Victorians who performed 10 extraordinary life-saving acts to receive Community Hero Awards at Parliament House.Ms Jones, a nurse, was on her way to a night shift at Bendigo Hospital’s emergency department when she saw a fire but at first didn’t realise it was a vehicle.She said Mr Stone had already placed the driver in the recovery position.“Jason had already pulled the driver out, which was very fortunate because there is no way I would have been able to do that,’’ she said.Ms Jones stayed at the scene, assisting paramedics to stabilise the driver.She said the man, believed to be from Bendigo, was taken to Maryborough where he was flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.“I’ve not met the man since the crash, but I’ve heard he had to have his leg amputated and is getting a prosthetic leg,’’ she said.Ms Jones said despite being a nurse, treating a patient at the scene of a crash was a totally different scenario.“Thinking back it was scary, I remember the heat from the truck fire was really intense, and as we were checking him we could hear tyres exploding behind us,’’ she said.Ms Jones said she was uncomfortable with the word hero being attached to the award.“What we did was just human nature,’’ she said.“It should be called the thanks for stopping and giving a hand award.“The paramedics are the true heroes. They choose to put themselves in danger every day. They don’t get paid enough for what they do. They’re amazing.’’Mr Stone was on his way home from a day of fishing when he came across the crash.“I didn’t see the crash, but I saw a ball of flames come up,” he said.Mr Stone couldn’t see anyone inside the truck but yelled out to see if anybody was inside.“I heard a help and ran over,’’ he said.A nightmare scene confronted Mr Stone, with a bone sticking out of the leg of the badly burnt man, who was stuck inside the truck that was leaking fuel.“I told him that it was going to hurt but I dragged him across the road,’’ he said.Ms Stone said the pair had just made it across the road when the truck’s second fuel tank exploded.“I tried to keep him conscious, there was no blood, his body had gone into shock,’’ he said.“His hands and his feet were burnt and I was talking to him. Gabrielle arrived and gave him the once over, checking his airways,’’ he said.“I took my shirt off and put it over his leg and his feet, which were getting burnt.“I had a water bottle near me which I’ve kept because it is completely melted.’’Mr Stone said he was honoured to receive the award in front of his wife and family.“I just did what the ambulance guys do every day,’’ he said.