Awards for brave five

FIVE people from the remote community of Numbulwar have been heralded for their bravery when they fought off an armed man as he attacked a woman.

Watching from the safety of her home in Numbulwar, Karina Numamurdirdi saw a man attacking a woman with a weapon. With no regard for her own life, she jumped in, pushing the attacker off multiple times. However, the man got away and dragged the woman into bushland.

It was then that Cyrus Ngalmi, Grant Nundhirribala, Elaine Mamarika and Preston Wurrumurra got involved.

The four, who were members of the community’s Night Patrol, intervened, told the man to stop and helped the woman to safety.

When the man escaped, two members drove the injured woman to the local health clinic. While the others searched the for the man, those at the health clinic stayed as a personal security team.

For this, the five were given bravery awards.

“Karina was brave in dangerous circumstances,” Senior Constable Kyle Slater said. “She was alone at the time of intervention and placed herself in extreme danger of being physically assaulted, slashed, stabbed or killed.

“She has ignored her own physical safety in a courageous attempt to save the victim from a violent attack.”

Sen-Constable Slater nominated the quintet for the Bravery Certificates earlier this year, after they leapt into action at the incident last year.

“I have no doubt that had they not taken immediate action and put themselves in harm’s way to save the victim, police would now be investigating a murder,” he said.

“The actions of the Night Patrol members were above and beyond their normal duties. They were unarmed and not trained to deal with a violent offender in these circumstances. The actions of the four night patrol members ensured she received medical attention for serious injuries and potentially saved the victim’s life.”