Bairnsdale local Belinda Gallasch is a lifesaver, literally.
She was on her way back from Melbourne on Friday, November 2, when she noticed a missing piece of guard rail and headlights pointing into the sky at an odd angle along the Princes Highway in Tynong, near Gumbuya World.
Belinda found 25-year-old, James Giertz, in his ute, which was lying on its side down an embankment next to the road, on fire.
James had suffered an epileptic fit – his first behind the wheel – and has no memory of his Nissan Nivara hurtling off the edge of the 100km/h highway.
Belinda could see Mr Giertz was unresponsive and flames were leaping two metres at the back of the ute. An off-duty nurse pulled over to join in the rescue effort, as did two men.
They smashed the windscreen down with a broken guard rail and dragged a dazed Mr Giertz from the driver’s seat.
Incredibly, his only injury was a small cut to his leg that required stitches. Belinda was glad she happened to be passing by.
“It is not what I expected to be doing at 6.30am in the morning,” she said.
“I had just bought a photo booth for work and I was planning on going home Thursday night, but I ended up going home on Friday morning. I suppose it was fate that I ended up going home when I did.
“I did all that I could. I saw the broken guard rail and I thought that someone could be in need there.
“I didn’t think about my own safety, which isn’t probably the smartest thing. He was pretty lucky in the end. He only needed stitches.”
PICTURED: Bairnsdale lady, Belinda Gallasch, along with off-duty nurse, Ashlee Inglis, saved the life of 25-year-old James Giertz, who had suffered an epileptic fit while driving near Gumbuya World, near Tynong, steering through a wire rope barrier in the early hours of Friday, November 2.
