|
|
 |
 |
| Bill and Miss Jurd | Bill McNeil | Bill and Mrs Joan Baker |
AUSTRALIA DAY 2005 HONOURS
ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
MEDAL (OAM) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
Dr William Raymond McNEIL
Gorokan NSW
For service through the provision of immediate medical assistance to victims of the bombings which occurred in Bali on 12 October 2002
Angel arrives on a motorbike
By Johanna Leggatt
October 20 2002
The Sun-Herald
When the bomb exploded, Dr Bill McNeil was on his motorbike bound for the Sari Club.
But rather than turning back he headed straight for the catastrophe - drawn by the incredible noise and a gut feeling that it wasn't a gas explosion.
"I remember approaching the scene and calling out, "I am an Australian doctor, does anyone need any help?" Dr McNeil said from his central coast home.
"There were buildings and cars on fire, people being taken away with burns and cuts, it was awful.
"And always there was this feeling that there was going to be another explosion, that this wasn't the last one I was hearing."
Dr McNeil, who is an intern at Gosford Hospital, was on a surfing holiday with friends.
He was shattered by the extent of the violence and at the same time amazed by displays of bravery in the hospital.
"I remember seeing 18-year-old boys risking their lives to help people and thinking it was amazing, the humanity in people in times like this."
After assessing the scene at the Sari Club, Dr McNeil returned to his hotel room stunned and told his friends what had happened.
He then headed to the hospital and spent the next six hours treating burns victims and ensuring people got enough fluid.
"By the time I got to the hospital all of the people there had drips and some were in better conditions than others," he said.
"There were about 40 people all up from Australia, Bali, all over the place in my ward and I just spent the next six hours visiting all of them and asking what else I could do.
"They needed fluid and bandages but I think it also helped the Aussies to hear an Australian voice. It put them at ease.
"And it was a very Aussie exchange. I would ... say, 'What can I help you with?' and they would say, 'Well, I've just got a bit of a burn'."
Paul Nancarrow, Renaye Iserief and Bill McNeil