Danny Haber was in line for a fun-park ride when he found himself at the centre of a deadly Dreamworld crash.
A loud noise followed by children screaming sent crowds fleeing, but while others ran away, Mr Haber and two other men stepped towards the danger.
It was October 25, 2016 when four people were killed as two rafts collided on the Thunder River Rapids Ride at the popular Gold Coast park.
Years later Mr Haber, now 41, Thomas William Hanson, and Joedy Charles Vincent receive a Group Bravery Citation for their conduct. Mr Haber also receives an individual Commendation for Brave Conduct.
They are among 89 people recognised in Tuesday’s Australian Bravery Decorations announced by Governor-General David Hurley.
Other Group Bravery Citations include 32 emergency service personnel who responded to Sydney’s December 2014 Lindt Cafe siege, in which two civilians and a terrorist were killed. The group is comprised of 28 unnamed specialist police and four paramedics: Oliver Aleman, Oliver Ellis, Christopher Ennis, and Daniel Trincado.
Receiving a Bravery Medal are two civilian bystanders who rushed to help when a terrorist detonated gas cylinders and went on a stabbing rampage through central Melbourne on November 9, 2018.
Jeferey Reid-Payne tried to distract the knife-wielding attacker until police arrived, and later helped officers restrain the offender and assisted victims who had been stabbed.
Lei Zhang was in a nearby restaurant when the violence broke out and fought her instinct to run away, instead helping a man – 74-year-old cafe owner Sisto Malaspina – who had been stabbed.
“Ms Zhang, with others, rushed over to the wounded man to render first aid, despite the offender attacking police approximately 20m away. Despite their efforts, the wounded man sadly died at the scene,” the citation reads.
On Queensland’s K’gari, once known as Fraser Island, William James Farley rushed to the aid of his six-year-old cousin when she was attacked by a dingo in April 2023, prompting the dog to release its jaws from the girl’s head and flee.
“The dingo lunged at the girl, grabbed the back of her head in its mouth, pushed her underwater and tried to drag her away,” the bravery citation reads..
“Despite the danger, Mr Farley immediately ran towards the animal, screaming and fighting it off until the animal let go of his cousin.”
In the case of Mr Haber, he credits a previous 21-year navy career for his response.
“We are trained to run to the noise as opposed to running away,” he told AAP.
It was a catastrophic sight that faced him, with bodies in the water and children screaming.
“We thought we were walking into the safest ride in one of the safest theme parks of the world and it turned out to be the scariest day of our life,” Mr Haber said.
The then-34-year-old carried two children to safety and with other bystanders dragged a woman from the water and rendered first aid.
“If it was my family involved, I would want someone to help. It was just a terrible day and I got involved because it was the right thing to do.”
Canberra man Luke Dorsett, who was in one of the rafts and died in the Dreamworld crash, receives a posthumous commendation for bravery.
“Mr Dorsett immediately placed his arm across his niece to prevent her falling from the raft. Sadly however, Mr Dorsett fell from the raft himself, and tragically died at the scene after becoming caught in the ride.”
The Governor-General paid tribute to all the recipients.
“In a moment of peril, each of the people we are recognising today decided to come to the aid of someone else – some, someone they knew, others a total stranger,” he said.
“Often their actions were at a cost to themselves. Tragically, two recipients lost their own lives.”
