Rescuer goes to hospital too

A 24-year-old Empire Bay woman has been treated for shock at Gosford Hospital after she pulled an 81-year-old man from his car on Thursday, April 21, when she was travelling toward Ettalong.

Ms Jennifer Skehan was travelling along Maitland Bay Dr just before midday on the southern approach to the Rip Bridge when she saw a car run up an embankment, roll over and come back on the roadway inverted, taking out a light pole.

Ms Skehan parked her car and ran about 40 metres up the road before pulling open the driver's door and pulling the driver from the vehicle.

She was transported to Gosford Hospital with the driver and treated for post-traumatic stress.

"She ended up in hospital because, after her actions, it sunk in what she had done," said her father Mr Ray Skehan.

"It didn't really help with all the people around mentioning the car could have exploded - too many American movies," he said.

"I think she did the right thing.

"It's just people were saying to her afterward that they wouldn't have done it because of this and that.

"That's why she sort of fell over after the event when she realised what had happened.

"She was out that night and the fellow she pulled out of the car rang her in the morning to see how she was.

"So he was all right.

"It just looked pretty spectacular at the time," said Mr Skehan.

Kaitlin Watts, 28 Apr 2011 Interviewee: Ray Skehan

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