The Cootamundra man responsible for single-handedly saving a stranger’s life in 2017 has been honoured by NSW Fire and Rescue with a Commissioner’s Commendation award.
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Seven months have passed since Michael Van Baast rescued 22-year-old Jacob Prosser from a burning vehicle on the side of the Olympic Highway between Cootamundra and Wallendbeen.
Mr Van Baast risked his own life to recover the unconscious driver, who had been trapped in the vehicle after his car hit a tree.
A dashcam video documented the entire incident and was shared nationally, placing Mr Van Baast squarely in the spotlight.
Fast forward to April 2018 and life has almost returned to normal.
“It’s sort of all died down now, the hype, and everything’s gone back to normal,” Mr Van Baast said.
“Well, in some ways it has and some ways it hasn’t.”
Mr Van Baast still keeps in contact with Mr Prosser and the pair have met in person since the incident.
“We’ve caught up a few times which has been good,” he said.
“Apparently he’s back to playing rugby and seems fully recovered for the most part.”
NSW Fire and Rescue Deputy Commissioner Malcolm Connellan, who was involved in the selection process for the Commissioner’s Commendation, said Mr Van Baast’s actions were “over and above the call of duty”.
“When you consider his actions and the fact that’s he’s not trained in fire fighting, had no protective equipment and no backup … it was certainly courageous,” he said.
“When you see that dashcam footage, you’ll understand exactly why he was given the award.
“To peel back the door frame the way he did … if you had to write a little textbook on what to do in that situation, he would have fulfiled that role perfectly.”
Deputy Commissioner Connellan said Mr Van Baast was a “humble” man whose actions were “extraordinary”.
“I don’t know if others could have done what he did that night,” he said.
