Fearless pair 'did what we had to'

Updated November 2 2012 - 11:35am, first published May 6 2009 - 12:25pm
ON HAND: Matt Walsh, left, and Anthony Tuddenham tried to save the man at yesterday's gas leak.
ON HAND: Matt Walsh, left, and Anthony Tuddenham tried to save the man at yesterday's gas leak.

TWO men commended for their rescue efforts at yesterday's fatal gas leak have shrugged off any praise, saying they "did what we had to do".Anthony Tuddenham was driving to work about 7.15am when he noticed a man's legs sticking out of a manhole at the United Service Station in Macarthur St."I just thought it was very unusual to see legs coming out of the pit like that," he said.Mr Tuddenham, a Ballarat building contractor, pulled over and went to check on the man."He was slumped in the pit. I just dragged him straight out and ran into the servo for help," he said.Inside, he found Ballarat electrician Matt Walsh on his way to work."I was getting the newspapers when Tuddy, who I know, came running in," he said. "We dragged the man away from the pit and moved him onto the footpath away from the gas."A woman who was out walking and a doctor who was passing, then arrived and attempted to resuscitate the man.Mr Tuddenham also asked a motorist, who had been pumping petrol into his car and not seen the man, to call 000.Mr Walsh said it was lucky Mr Tuddenham had seen the man.The pair said while they could smell gas, their only concern was for the man."It was instinct to get him away from the gas," Mr Walsh said."I didn't even think whether there would be any repercussions," Mr Tuddenham added."The gas was bubbling away, but we did what we had to do. It was getting a little bit scary towards the end. You didn't know whether it was going to blow or not."

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