THE brave efforts of two off-duty police officers and a surfer who helped rescue two women from drowning at The Flume in 2013 will be recognised at Government House today.
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Senior constables Lisa McRae and Kim Wheeler and Nat Anson, son of Warrnambool City Council chief executive officer Bruce, will be presented with a certificate of merit at the Royal Humane Society bravery awards ceremony today.
On March 9 last year, senior constables McRae and Wheeler and Mr Anson helped rescue Bree Meade and her friend Jesse Curran, who were caught in a rip off the popular surf beach.
Another bodyboarder and a female surfer also assisted.
The policewomen were off duty when they heard Ms Curran and Ms Meade screaming for help. They entered the water and helped one woman onto a bodyboard.
Senior Constable McRae then reached the second woman, floating her on her back and holding her hand to keep her calm before Mr Anson entered the water with a bigger board and was able to take her to shore.
Two Portland resi-dents will also receive a certificate of merit at the ceremony for their bravery in trying to rescue a man who was trapped in his burning car at Milltown, near Heywood, in October 2012.
Rebecca Trinnick, a nurse, and Brenton Bailey, a truck driver, along with two other men stopped when they noticed the accident on the Henty Highway and attempted to free the man from the wreckage.
They tried to extinguish a small fire in the car’s engine bay with a fire extinguisher and clothing and attempted to pull the roof of the vehicle.
As the fire started to spread, Ms Trinnick made all three men move away from the vehicle for fear the gas tank would explode and the fact the driver had died.
Shortly after they moved away the gas tank exploded and the car was engulfed in flames.
