Dampier Woman Awarded Bravery Accolades for Rescuing Child in Alleged Drowning Attempt by Father.
Members of a fitness community in the northern region of Washington state were honored with police bravery awards for their heroic actions in rescuing a young child from an alleged attempted drowning by his father last month.
Eleven individuals were recognized during a brief ceremony presided over by Karratha police on Tuesday morning, situated just under 20 kilometers from the location where, last month, they observed a 26-year-old Nickol man allegedly driving into the water at Dampier Foreshore in an attempt to drown his son.
Among the witnesses to this incident were three local women—Shona Langfield, Gemma Burrow-Smith, and Natalie Love—who were participating in an outdoor fitness class nearby.
Motherly protective instinct
Ms. Langfield expressed that it seemed as though the women were in the perfect place at the perfect moment.
“We were destined to be there on that day,” she remarked.
The three women, all of whom are mothers themselves, emphasized that their actions were driven by instinct.
“We didn’t deliberate on our actions; we simply had to respond,” remarked Ms. Burrow-Smith.
“It was a maternal instinct, the kind of protective response you’d expect for your own child,” she added.
The child’s mother was present at the ceremony to express her gratitude to the women for rescuing her son.
“Incredibly courageous young boy”
Pilbara Superintendent Gailene Hamilton presented commendations for bravery to the three women and also expressed her appreciation to the other members of the fitness group for their courageous act of contacting emergency services.
“Bravery is a substantial virtue, a quality that, for most of you on that particular day, was an exceptionally daunting experience that the majority of people rarely encounter in their daily lives,” she remarked.
The 26-year-old Nickol man is currently facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit a crime, and one count of reckless driving in connection with the incident. His court appearance is scheduled for November 8 in Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court.
