Craigieburn hero firefighter saves cyclist with broken neck
A cyclist who suffered a near-fatal neck injury while riding with a group in Melbourne’s north believes if it wasn’t for a CFA firefighter stopping to help, he would have gone home in a body bag.
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A quick-thinking Craigieburn firefighter has been hailed a hero after he helped save the life of a cyclist who broke his neck in a road accident.
Craigieburn CFA firefighter David Stewart was driving south along Wallan Rd in Whittlesea about 9.30am on December 27 when he spotted a group of nine cyclists from the Northern Veterans Cycling Association travelling north at about 40km/h toward Broadford.
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Seconds after passing the group, Mr Stewart saw the final cyclist, Rosanna man Phil Bramich, fall from his bike and crash head first onto the road.
“All I saw was his pushbike flying so I stopped and rendered First Aid,” the firefighter said, before explaining how he held Mr Bramich’s head still and made sure he remained conscious.
“Given the symptoms he was having — pins and needles in his fingers and toes, combined with a lot of pain in his neck — I was concerned about spinal injuries.”
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Mr Stewart’s instincts were correct; Mr Bramich received one of the worst spinal cord injuries possible and often fatal — a broken neck at the C2 vertebrate.
Mr Bramich, who is now out of hospital, said he wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for Mr Stewart.
“He saved my life,” Mr Bramich said.
The avid cyclist was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s trauma centre and underwent surgery the following day.
If his vertebrate heals correctly, Mr Bramich is expected to almost fully recover after 12 months.
But if it remains dislocated, he must undergo “very invasive surgery”, which could reduce his neck function by 60 per cent.
Despite the prospect of a long and painful recovery, Mr Bramich said he considered himself “very fortunate”.
“Most people with this injury go home in a body bag so I’m just thankful I’m alive,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for David.”
University of Melbourne medicine Professor Mary Galea said “twisting can often make spinal injuries worse, which is why it’s so important to keep the head as still as possible to minimise any further injury”.
“Incidents like these show why everybody should do first aid training,” she said.
Craigieburn’s hero firefighter, however, has insisted he “didn’t do anything special”.
“I didn’t do anything more than what I was trained to do,” Mr Stewart said.
“The paramedics, the flight crews, the surgeon — they were incredible.”
Mr Bramich’s friends have raised more than $9700 to help him cover the cost of medical bills and other expenses.
To donate, visit: au.gofundme.com/phil-bramich-fundraiser.
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