Nerves of steel

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE SES members Ken Breasley and Geoff Wilkinson play down any talk of heroism joking that they are “accidental heroes”.
Robyn Dean is just grateful they drove into Narbethong at all on Black Saturday … and that they had a spare seat.
Horribly burnt, they got her back to Healesville for the start of the months of treatment, including surgery and skin grafts, which saved her life.
Mr Breasley, Mr Wilkinson and three other Healesville SES members, Steve Collins, Geoff Stott and Graham Ledger were awarded SES Commendation for Bravery awards for their actions on Black Saturday.
The men were with other members managing the exodus of Chum Creek refugees when two calls came in; a car crash in Narbethong and people trapped in a dam in Steels Creek.
Collins, Stott and Ledger headed out, driving through the flames to reach the Steels Creek people who, thankfully, had managed to escape.
With fire surrounding Healesville and no knowledge of the devastation that had already ripped through Narbethong and Marysville, Breasley and Wilkinson headed up the Black Spur sometime after 5.15pm.
Under normal circumstances there would have been three members in the 3-seater truck.
Ms Dean and her father, Reg Dean, joined SES members on Monday 21 March, for the presentation of VicSES Commendation for Bravery and Commendation for Service awards.
There is no mistaking the special bond she has with the men who risked their lives to get her to hospital.
Caught in a fireball as she fled their Granton home, Ms Dean had burns to 25 per cent of her body.
In the middle of the holocaust they made their way to the main road where they were picked up by a fire truck and taken to the Outdoor Centre in Narbethong which had survived the fire and was now a refuge.
Mr Breasley said the road rescue call had been stopped and it was obvious that it was critical that they get Ms Dean to hospital.
“We thought if we don’t get her out of here now, we won’t get out. We poured water on her burns, wrapped her up and took off.
“If we had waited another 15 minutes, we wouldn’t have got out,” he said.
It wasn’t until they got to Fernshaw that they were able to make radio contact, calling for an ambulance and advising that Narbethong and Marysville were on fire.
“Up to that stage nobody knew what the situation was there,” Mr Breasley said.
Mr Wilkinson said there wasn’t an option and, although they weren’t sure, they were counting on being able to get safely down the Black Spur.
If they are accidental heroes, they are also reluctant heroes.
“That sort of thing is unexpected, and a bit surreal,” Mr Breasley said of the bravery award.
“We were just doing our job.”
Mr Wilkinson said the award was something they accepted as part of the unit.
“It’s not only us, it’s a unit thing, regardless of who gets the awards, we’re all in it together,” he said.
Ms Dean said it was fantastic to see recognition for her rescuers, and for all the SES members.
“Nobody really knew what was happening. The fact that they were willing to leave the relative safety of Healesville to come up here and not knowing what they were facing is pretty incredible,” she said.
“Then to go back down when there was no threat at Narby; they could have stayed, but they didn’t.”