Follow along with our live coverage of the Helen Haines attack here.
Jacob Evans and Jacklyn Black admit they are overwhelmed. The couple were in the popular tourist town of Bright, in Victoria’s High Country, for the week; they were supposed to be on holiday.
“I guess it took a bit of a turn,” Evans says, after their break was disrupted on Monday afternoon when they rushed to the aid of independent MP Helen Haines .
Having stopped off in Wangaratta, the couple were shopping in a camping store on the town’s main street when a man allegedly rammed a four-wheel drive into Haines at least two times.
Upon hearing the crash, Evans immediately sprang into action. After running to his car for medical supplies, the 22-year-old applied a tourniquet to Haines’ leg.
“We just saw the accident occur, and it was just one of those things where someone’s been hurt … so we just legged it across the road,” Black said.
The tourniquet, a band wrapped tightly around an arm or a leg to restrict blood flow during life-threatening haemorrhages, “had a significant impact on her,” Black said of her partner’s actions. “He did an incredible job.”
“I’ve always been the nerd with the first-aid kit,” Evans said on Wednesday. “Luckily, it paid off this time.”
Lucky too, that 21-year-old Black is training to be a paramedic. She called Triple Zero and assisted in managing other bystanders who also rushed to help.
Together, the couple say they helped Haines maintain consciousness by asking her to count backwards from 10 and talking to her about her grandkids.
“At some point she stopped doing all of that and thanked us for the help that we were giving to her,” Evans said. “Beautiful people was the word she called us.”
Evans and Black were outside Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court nearby on Wednesday morning, where 43-year-old Brendan Nugent appeared and was charged with dangerous driving causing injury, intentionally causing injury, and a Commonwealth offence of causing harm to a Commonwealth public official. Police allege the incident was targeted.
Cody Lepoidevin, a 20-year-old manager of the camping store opposite Haines’ office who also rushed to provide assistance, said that despite the severity of the situation and injuries, “Helen came across as she always does, just very lovely and genuine, and very thankful for the help that we gave her”.
“For her to stay calm, and say thank you so much for your help, you beautiful people. I couldn’t commend her more highly.”
Evans and Black said they debriefed with hero barber Ricky Jefferies after the incident, who, along with Lepoidevin, helped restrain Nugent and threw away a pocket knife in his possession .
“We were so lucky that Cody and Ricky and so many other bystanders were controlling that aspect,” Black said, “so we were able to keep our focus on Helen and everything happening around her.”
“I think we’re a bit overwhelmed with everything that’s happening at the moment,” Black said of the attention they have received since the attack.
“It’s turned into a big thing,” Evans said. “Initially, we were just running across the road to help someone in a car accident. And now the prime minister is making speeches about it.”
Evans suggested that everyone should have a first aid kit in their car.
“Lucky the equipment was there. Anyone else who knew how to use it would’ve had the same effect. We were just the silly buggers with the equipment,” Evans said.
Black added: “It’s not something you plan for. You hope it doesn’t happen … but I think we did alright.”
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