WA Governor His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Gold Cross recipient Ella McIlveen, Royal Life Saving WA President Vaughan Davies

Emergency response from Ella earns highest honour at 2023 Bravery Awards

Ella Mcllveen was just 17 years old when she saved a man's life by being in the right place at the right time.

Ella was driving along the Kwinana Freeway late last year with her brother, when she witnessed a significant collision between a pedestrian and a truck, "it was a huge commotion, it was crazy, it was like a movie in real life", Ella describes.

That's when Ella's fight or flight response kicked in.

Ella took charge of the situation by organising bystanders and calling emergency services.

Before long, Ella had managed to control bleeding from the pedestrian's head wound, before performing CPR, allowing him to breathe independently after a few minutes.

From this experience, Ella is a strong believer that everyone should have first aid training.

"I think it's because I come from a medical background, but I just think that these things happen every day and that everyone should be equipped to be able to deal with it", Ella said.

Whilst it was very lucky Ella was there, otherwise it ‘would have been a very different outcome’ a paramedic told Ella; Ella believes it was her turn to return the favour.

A few years prior, Ella was on the receiving end of this type of care, having to be resuscitated in her Outdoor Education class.

Through Ella's initiative, and her calming and compassionate nature, she was ultimately able to save a life. This earned her the highest honour of the Bravery Awards, a Gold Cross.

Ella was one of three deserving attendees to receive the highest accolade this year and is an inspiration to all, as well as a reminder for everyone to be qualified in emergency response.

If you know someone remarkable like Ella, why not nominate them for next year's Bravery Awards? Follow the link below to find out more.