Petrol station heroines … Pearcedale resident Robyn Sheppard, front, and her sister-in-law Dianne Christian were honoured with By Alison Noonan
A PEARCEDALE resident who rushed to the aid of a burning woman has been recognised with a Bravery Award by the Federal Government.
The afternoon of 3 August, 2005, is one Robyn Sheppard will never forget after a relaxing trip out for lunch turned into a day of horror.
Mrs Sheppard was driving home with her sister-in-law, Dianne Christian, when the pair noticed smoke and saw a girl on fire at a service station on Frankston-Flinders Road in Somerville.
“We stopped the car and ran over to her. She had a full jerry can of petrol open and had poured the bowser all over her.
“By the time we got there, the petrol station attendant had extinguished the flames but she was still smouldering,” she said.
Mrs Sheppard said her sister-in-law attempted to calm the woman while she poured water over her until the ambulance arrived.
“She was very hostile and kept trying to get in her car and drive away.
“My sister-in-law took her car keys from the ignition to stop her from leaving.
“Although her skin had melted and her clothes were stuck to her, she wasn’t saying anything about the pain. She was in shock and just wanted to go,” she said.
Mrs Sheppard said although it took just minutes for emergency crews to arrive, the wait felt ‘like a lifetime’.
“We managed to calm her down and comfort her while we waited for the ambulance.
“By that stage, she had collapsed and was screaming ‘what have I done to myself?’
“The ambulance took her to Tyabb and she was taken by helicopter to the city. It was pretty horrific,” she said.
Mrs Sheppard, a primary school integration aid, said the memories of the nightmare afternoon plagued her for months after.
“The police offered us counselling and rang regularly to let us know how she was.
“But the images stayed with me for a while. I had never seen anything like that before. It was shocking,” she said.
Mrs Sheppard said she had mixed emotions about receiving a commendation for brave conduct at the Australian Bravery Decorations on the weekend.
“My family is very proud. They think the Bravery Award is pretty good.
“It’s really lovely to be acknowledged but it was just a normal reaction. We didn’t think twice,” she said.
“I’m sure anybody in our situation would have done the same thing. We couldn’t just drive past and ignore her.”
