"Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
They were the words Senior Constable Helen McMurtrie could muster to thank the strangers in the street that ultimately helped to save her life.
Senior Constable McMurtrie is on the road to recovery after being shot in the neck while on duty, and on the weekend came face-to-face with two of the men who came to her rescue, thanks to a local fundraiser.
The weekend meeting was an emotional one.
"There is no expectation for members of the public to assist in such a horrific and dangerous situation, but you both did," she said to the pair.
The injured officer was struck in the neck by a homemade high-calibre bullet on the night of January 17. The same bullet hit her and Sergeant Mark Johnston after they were called to a domestic emergency. The shooter later turned the gun on himself.
READ ALSO:
The actions of Bryce Elliott and Anthony Willman, along with her colleagues Sergeant Johnston and Probationary Constable Samantha Petty, is why Senior Constable McMurtrie is here today.
Despite a few messages over Facebook, it was the first time she had seen the men who ran to her aid after the shooting.
The 20-somethings were playing play station in their share house in Church Street next door to where the horror unfolded on what was a routine Friday night in the town.
After the gunshots rang out, they went to the police paddywagon, helping to hold her neck until emergency help arrived.
Senior Constable McMurtrie said they were touched to see her walking, healthy, having a good time.
"I know just from Facebook contact with them they were very happy to see me back on my feet, back in town," she said.
The emotional meeting was at a Glen Innes fundraiser for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter - another lifesaver who airlifted her, and Sergeant Johnston, to a Gold Coast hospital following the shooting.
Close to $18,000 was raised at the fundraiser, as close to 250 locals dug deep for the chopper.
