Andrew Ormsby never imagined that his bar anecdote would bring him in front of Dr. Jeannette Young, the governor of Queensland.
Four years ago, the Gold Coast pub patron who stopped an armed robbery at the Mermaid Beach Tavern was lauded as a hero.
He was among the Queenslanders who risked their lives to save others who received Australian honors and bravery medals on Tuesday.
Ormsby said, “It’s a big honor, extremely unexpected.
If you had informed me that night, I would have responded, “Whatever, get off the drink,” he laughed.
In 2019, Ormsby was playing the slots when he grabbed a seat from the bar to stop a bandit with a machete who was terrorizing a female bartender.
The masked thief was then disarmed using potted plants, and he was chased out of the bar.
Everyone is shocked and asks, “Out of all weapons, a pot plant?,” to which he replies, “Well, it was the only thing I could see at the time.”
He received praise today for his courageous actions and fast thinking.
It’s just something that anyone else would do, Ormsby said. “If you see someone in trouble, your instincts kind of kick in to save whoever’s there.”
The same kind of bravery was displayed by Harley Schmith in 2019 when he risked his life to save four teens who were trapped on a light pole during the deadly floodwaters that swept through Townsville.
Schmith said, “It was challenging, but once again, we just had a job to do – we had to do it.
It’s simply demeaning. I never anticipated receiving anything of the sort.
Over the course of five events held at Government House, 115 Queenslanders from various walks of life were honored.
