Moree’s very own hero, Jimmy Bateman, will be nationally recognised for his efforts in helping save a truck driver who ran off the road in his explosive-laden truck at Charleville, Queensland in 2014.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Bateman will receive a Star of Courage, Australia’s second highest medal for peacetime bravery.
The announcement of the Australian Bravery Award came just a day before Mr Bateman received a certificate of recognition from the Queensland Police Commissioner in Charleville last Thursday, August 18. Last year Mr Bateman was also honoured by the Queensland Fire Commissioner and the Charleville Shire.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Mr Bateman said.
“Pretty rapt after what we went through. It’s quite a big deal because what happened that night was unexplainable. It was just full-on.”
Mr Bateman’s life changed forever on the night of September 5, 2014 he came across a B-double truck, carrying over 52 tonnes of highly explosive chemical, which had crashed off the Angellala Creek Bridge on the Mitchell Highway and burst into flames.
Mr Bateman was the second truck driver to arrive on the scene. He and the other truck driver, Timothy Bunyen, chose to stay and administer first aid to the injured truck driver, who had managed to get out of the truck's cabin and crawl up onto the bridge.
Not long after four Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) firefighters arrived, the burning truck exploded. A second explosion and shockwave quickly followed, causing extensive damage to the surrounding area. Mr Bateman, Mr Bunyen, the injured truck driver and the four firefighters sustained significant injuries, being only 30 metres from the exploding vehicle.
Amazingly, all survived the explosion – the biggest ever explosion in peacetime Australia, which was felt up to 80km away. Mr Bateman, who was thrown 70 feet, was most seriously injured.
As a result, he lost the tip of his ring finger, his middle finger was amputated and his index finger on his left hand was shattered. He fractured a bone in his neck, damaged tendons in his knees and ankles, suffered burns and grazes, and both eardrums were blown. He now only has 40 per cent hearing, and no longer able to drive trucks.
Mr Bateman’s partner, Robyn Riggs, said she and the family are all very proud of him.
“I think it’s just fantastic, he deserves to be recognised for what he’s done,” she said of his bravery awards.
“He’s a hero for his actions.”
