On April 14, 2018, Lyndhurst family Luke Spackman, Geoff Spackman and Melissa Regan were travelling to Cowra when they spotted a car leaving the road and going through a barbed wire fence.
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They followed the car, which travelled for 100 metres into a paddock before colliding with a tree.
With little thought for their own safety, the family pulled a semi-conscious man from the vehicle, which had caught fire, and called emergency services.
The man they saved was Cowra paramedic Jules Van Holst Pellekaan, who was travelling from Bathurst for work.
Last Friday, Luke, Geoff and Melissa were given citations for courage from Ambulance NSW at a small ceremony at Bellevue Hill.
Mr Van Holst Pellekaan said he wouldn’t be here today if they hadn’t stopped to help.
“It’s sort of a funny thing being a paramedic, normally we are used to going to other people’s houses, going to other people’s car accidents and helping them,” he said.
“Last April, the shoe was most definitely on the other foot... I'm incredibly lucky and that’s due to Mel, Geoff and Luke who were actually able to pull me out and essentially save my life.”
Mr Van Holst Pellekaan said a number of people stopped to help on the day, however Luke, Geoff and Melissa disregarded their own safety to save his life.
He said 15-year-old Luke showed bravery beyond his years and praised Geoff and Melissa for the way they have raised their son.
”Which for anyone, even if you’re trained in it, is an enormous thing to do,” he said.
“Luke, you’re 15, there are so many grown ups who go their entire lives wondering if they are actually going to be able to do what they need to do and not freeze in an emergency.
“You’ve shown an incredible strength of character to be able to what you did.”
In attendance at the ceremony were members of both the Spackman and Van Holst Pellekaan families, friends, Jules’ colleagues who assisted on the day and Grant Terry from Cowra Police.
“What we are formally here to do is to recognise the three of you for a level of bravery that defines what bravery is, especially to me and to my family,” Mr Van Holst Pellekaan said.
“It is remarkable and it is something that is valued throughout all the community, but especially within the Ambulance Service.
“The awards we have today are one of the highest awards the Ambulance service can give… it is an absolute honour for me, for my family and for the Ambulance Service itself present them.”
In response, Geoff and Mel said they were just happy to see Mr Van Holst Pellekaan alive and well today.
“We are glad he's ok,” Geoff said.
“We are glad we could get him home to his family,” Melissa said.
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