‘They saved mum’s life’ — two men receive Golden Cross bravery award for pulling woman from burning vehicle

Two men have been honoured for their act of courage in rescuing a 65-year-old woman from a burning vehicle after a tragic fatal crash in Wickepin earlier this year. Katanning truck driver Trevor Parminter and Kulin mechanic Glenn Schepis received the Royal Life Saving Gold Cross award for saving Nancy Tayler after her Toyota Kluger hit a tree and burst into flames in February. Mr Schepis was presented with his award at a ceremony in Perth last Friday, while Mr Parminter will receive his award at a later date. The two men were driving in separate vehicles from Kulin to Bannister to deliver a loader as part of their job for McIntosh and Son when they came across the burning vehicle. “We came over the crest of a hill and there was a car on fire against a tree,” Mr Parminter said. “I saw something in the car and my natural instincts just kicked in and did what I had to do.” Mr Parminter got out of his vehicle, closely followed by Mr Schepis, and the pair ran across the road while Ms Tayler fell from her vehicle. “She still had her clothes on fire — her back half was gone so we had to get the fire out on her back and make sure she was safe before we moved her away,” Mr Parminter said. “Once we got her away from the car and to a safe place I treated her. “We got a big towel out of the truck, wet it all down, and made sure she felt comfortable and treated it like a big burn.” Mr Parminter received burns to his hand during the rescue. “This was a matter of someone was in trouble ... there is absolutely no one else around, there were no other cars,” Mr Schepis said. “If we were any later, there would have been no saving her.” While the two were able to save Ms Tayler, they could not do anything for her nine-year-old grandson, Emmett, who was killed in the crash along with three pet border collies. The grandmother and grandson had been on their way to a family holiday from Nungarin in the Wheatbelt to Capel in the South West when their vehicle left the road. The boy’s father, former Katanning man Jacob Tayler, was in a car with his partner some distance behind them. Mr Tayler came across the crash scene a short time later and could only sit with his mother and comfort her while the vehicle was engulfed in flames. His mother was flown to Fiona Stanley Hospital with broken bones and severe burns. She spent more than four months in hospital after the crash. Speaking to the Herald this week, Mr Tayler said he would always be grateful to the two men for “springing into action to save my mum”. “They received burns and so I’ve heard many bee stings as the tree my mum hit had a bee hive in it,” he said. “No words will ever be enough to express my gratitude.”