Four youngsters from Whittlesea and Hume have been named as junior triple-0 heroes.
Bundoora’s Trinity Bennett, 13, Roxburgh Park’s Aahana Chapade, 7, Attwood’s Michael Moore, 13, and Mernda’s Sharon Zhang Jhang, 11, were among 31 children recognised at the annual Junior Triple Zero Heroes awards at Parliament House last week.
The awards recognise children who have called triple-0 in an emergency to highlight the importance of teaching young people how and when to call for help.
Trinity was hailed for her quick thinking after the family’s car was left balancing on a cliff near the Buchan Caves last year.
The teenager was out on a drive with her mother when the side of the road started to collapse as they did a U-turn. She managed to climb out of the car, before it fell 30 metres down a cliff with her mum inside.
She remained calm and provided vital details to the triple-0 operator until help arrived.
Aahana called triple-0 after her mother had a stroke in the school carpark, while Michael was recognised for calling triple-0 after he discovered a dead body while on a bike ride with a friend.
Sharon called triple-0 after her younger brother started having a febrile convulsion.
Sharon remained calm and conducted a breathing test on her brother.
Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said the young heroes stayed calm and collected and were shining examples of how preparing children for an emergency can save lives.
“Every year I am overwhelmed by the bravery and courage these young people show at the scene of emergencies, often involving their loved ones,” he said.
“More than 2.5 million emergency calls are made to ESTA through the triple-0 service every year, but clearly standing out were the actions of those brave young Victorians in situations that would unsettle most grown-ups.”
