Cobram SES unit controller Luke Herezo and deputy unit controller Kate Goldsmith were both awarded a Commendation for Service.
Photo by
Abby Green
“I was able to actually feel when Luke's compressions were successful, and life came back, and we could feel her pulse, which was incredible. Those moments you don't forget.”
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Those were the words of Cobram SES deputy unit controller Kate Goldsmith who, alongside unit controller Luke Herezo, saved a woman’s life at an Anzac Day ceremony last year.
Mr Herezo and Mrs Goldsmith were awarded a Commendation for Service in recognition of their exceptional service and actions, receiving the prestigious award at the Unit Controllers Conference on Saturday, June 20.
Mr Herezo said this type of award was very rare, with only about 130 being presented in the past 50 years.
“It was very humbling,” he said.
Mrs Goldsmith said she was also surprised to receive the prestigious award.
“It’s such a huge honour,” she said.
Cobram SES unit controller Luke Herezo, Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch and Cobram SES deputy unit controller Kate Goldsmith.
Photo by
Supplied
Mr Herezo said the pair were attending an Anzac Day ceremony at Cobram Secondary College on April 24, 2025, when an elderly woman suddenly stopped breathing.
“We were about three rows back and, in the front row, an elderly lady started displaying signs that she wasn't doing okay,” he said.
“I quickly assessed her, she was unconscious and non-responsive. She’d stopped breathing, so we commenced CPR.”
Although he performed chest compressions for only a couple of minutes, Mr Herezo said it felt much longer.
“It feels like a lifetime, time slows down,” he said.
Mrs Goldsmith said she monitored the woman’s breathing and pulse while Mr Herezo performed CPR.
“I was able to actually feel when Luke's compressions were successful, and life came back, and we could feel her pulse, which was incredible. Those moments you don't forget,” she said.
The pair returned to the Cobram Secondary College Anzac Day ceremony this year, where they were reunited with the woman, who has since made a full recovery.
“I think the biggest reward is seeing her again this year,” Mrs Goldsmith said.
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