“I couldn’t have done it without her”: Nine-year-old girl recognised for bravery by Queensland Ambulance Service

A nine-year-old girl has been recognised for her bravery by the Queensland Ambulance Service - her quick thinking saved her grandfather’s life.

Aubree Tidyman with assistant commissioner Peta Thompson and paramedic Richard Taylor at an awards ceremony on Thursday in Toowoomba. Picture: Marcus de Blonk Smith

Nine-year-old Aubree Tidyman’s quick-thinking on the side of a rural highway helped saved the life of her much-loved grandfather.

The Jondaryan girl was was presented with a Recognition of Bravery certificate at a ceremony on Thursday at the Toowoomba Ambulance Station for her lifesaving actions earlier this month.

Aubree had been travelling with her grandfather, Roland Teakle, along the Warrego Highway when he started experiencing “massive chest pain”, forcing him to pull over.

Quickly realising her grandfather needed help, Aubree rang her grandmother who then called paramedics.

Aubree was able to flag down the ambulance once it arrived and provided paramedics with essential information.

As paramedics arrived at hospital with Roland, he went into cardiac arrest and underwent surgery.

Aubree Tidyman with her grandfather Roland Teakle at an awards ceremony recognising her bravery. Picture: Marcus de Blonk Smith

Roland, who’s now back at home recovering, described his granddaughter as “absolutely fantastic”, and credited her with saving “his life without a doubt”.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said.

“I got no heart damage which is amazing.”

Aubree said the incident “was scary” but was relieved when she visited him a few days later in hospital and saw he was on the mend.

“I did not know what was happening to him [at the time] … but when we visited him in the hospital he looked a lot better,” she said.

Richard Taylor, who was one of the responding paramedics on that day, said Aubree “showed incredible bravery” and “maturity beyond her years”.

The ceremony also recognised the efforts of a number of local Emergency Medical Dispatchers and paramedics.