By JESSE GRAHAM
A FORMER Healesville SES volunteer who climbed into a smashed car to rescue a critically injured woman in 2007 has received his second bravery award in four months for the endeavour.
On Thursday, 17 March, Keith Picone was announced as the recipient of an Australian Bravery Medal, for his work to rescue Rachael McVae from the scene of a head-on crash on 21 February, 2007.
Mr Picone and his wife, Karen, who was SES Controller for the unit at the time, came across the crash while heading to an anniversary dinner.
One of the cars was in the middle of the road, with a trapped and injured driver, while Ms McVae’s car was on its passenger side, with her father deceased in the passenger seat and the driver trapped.
Mr Picone, speaking with the Mail on Thursday, 17 March, said that he and Karen both “went into recovery mode” straight away.
He climbed into the car’s rear hatch, taking out the back seats, and established that Ms McVae’s father was deceased, and that Rachel was pinned by the steering wheel and her seatbelt.
Supporting her with his arms and his head, the hard choice was made to cut the seatbelt, in order to help the injured driver breathe – seatbelts can hold people in place and prevent further injury, such as spinal injuries.
But Ms McVae, who has had 19 surgeries since the crash, did not have a spinal injury, and the pair talked and tried to stay comfortable until the Healesville SES arrived and cut the car open.
“We just zoned out,” Mr Picone said.
“You hear about athletes with their arms burning from strenuous exercise, but I don’t remember any of that.”
He said that, when arriving on the scene of a crash with the SES, members have some time to prepare, and, often, the victims remained nameless in the minds of the rescuers.
“You don’t know their names, you don’t know anything about them, and, 99 per cent of the time, you never hear from them again,” he said.
“We knew where each other lived, how old we were, everything about each other – just trying to keep her talking and keep her going.
“We just got through it together.”
He said he found out Rachael was alive because he and Karen were driving through the area some time after the crash, and saw three men standing at the crash site – these men were Ms McVae’s brothers and her partner.
Since her recovery, Mr Picone said Ms McVae had become fast friends with the family, and would be joining them for Easter this year.
After a coronial finding on the crash, a police officer investigating the incident put Mr Picone’s name forward for a bravery award from the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, which he received in December 2015.
This award will be his second for the incident.
“I think it’s a bit of overkill – I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone getting two awards for the one thing,” he said.
“But I’m rapt that I’ve been recognised, and I really don’t think I’m a hero – I know you hear them on the telly all the time, saying that.
“I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved, because, apart from my family, Rachael is my greatest success story, and it makes me a bit humble that people find me worthy of this sort of recognition.”
Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, congratulated this year’s Australian Bravery Award recipients for their efforts, and said that more than 40,000 honours had been announced for Australians over the last 40 years.
“On behalf of all Australians, I thank them for their bravery,” he said.
“They are a source of courage, support and inspiration, and we are a stronger, safer and more caring nation because of them.”
Mr Picone will receive his latest award in a yet-to-be-announced ceremony.
