Eurobodalla Shire volunteer rescuers know how to break a car apart to retrieve a crash victim, but they don't usually have to re-enact it for television.
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That's exactly what they did at a remote Tilba property for a Channel Nine A Current Affair episode.
Narooma Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA), Moruya State Emergency Service (SES) and Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers set aside their day and night to revisit memories retrieving a woman from a car in June 2019.
Lynette Williams, 67, crashed off the Princes Highway at Kianga Creek, near Narooma, after a medical episode, police said. She lay unconscious in her car for over 17 hours before she woke up and phoned for help.
Police, paramedics, VRA, SES and RFS rushed to rescue her.
To recreate the scene, VRA deputy captain Jeff Garrad crushed a car with a tractor and chained it to trees at his sloping Tilba property.
President Wendy Machin acted as patient behind a shattered windshield in the crumpled car.
Her friends from VRA and SES used specialised equipment to break apart the car, pull off doors and lift her safely by stretcher - with a film crew following every step.
Although it wasn't the real crash, full safety precautions were in place for the trained volunteers.
Sometimes it caused frank exchanges between volunteers and the film crew, who tried to edge closer to the scenario without safety equipment, and preferred lower lighting.
VRA training officer Mal Barry said Ms Machin had faith in her crew.
"She actually came out with a different attitude because she was the patient and wasn't doing the rescue," he said.
"(She) felt very safe, secure, she wasn't scared; people were talking to her.
"She had a different outlook on how a patient feels."
He said it was a long day, starting with 10am interviews at their Narooma headquarters, and finishing up just before 10pm at Tilba.
"We did the interviews, then the several takes driving up the driveway and hopping into the car," he said.
"The interview itself was one take, so we didn't have to repeat that, but the (reunion with) Lynette - that was done twice."
He preferred not to refer to the scene as a "re-enactment" because not everyone involved in the rescue was there.
He said all emergency services at the scene deserved recognition: "I didn't want to go and get all the glory. Everyone was there: orange, white, blue, yellow. They might be wearing different-coloured uniforms but they're all one team."
He said the episode was good exposure for his VRA crew, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.
"We're all volunteers, no-one is paid," he said.
The episode:
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