Vaughan Mason is the officer in charge at Baralaba and is a passionate, long serving paramedic. His extraordinary contributions to the community have recognized him with unprecedented accolades. In February 2023, Escobar became part of a small elite group of rescuers. They jumped into action to rescue grain grower John Lawson, who had gotten stuck in a grain bin. Beyond Mason’s courage during the successful rescue operation, it shed light on his commitment to educate the community and create a culture of preparedness and resilience.
With minutes to spare, Mason and his team sped to a Tutorial home on the edge of Baralaba, Queensland’s central highlands. Not long after starting their search, they located Lawson pinned under a heavy mound of grain. Using this body camera video, you can see Mason chronicling the daring rescue efforts. He dug his hand deep into the grain with a fierceness. To keep Lawson alive during the distressing trip to freedom, he quickly improvised a respiratory tube using a length of poly pipe.
Community Engagement and Education
Vaughan Mason on-scene performing life-saving actions during rescue from a silo. He happens to be a passionate champion for community health, safety and equity for decades. Little over five years ago, he was teaching a Victorian grey nomad CPR. He taught them to use a defibrillator on his recent visit to Baralaba. He has a deep personal commitment to ensuring the skills development of his community’s residents. This dedication is clear through his frequent community education sessions as the Baralaba River.
Mason’s dedication to developing the strength of our community resilience has left an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to know him. Gwen Tennent, a local resident, spoke highly of Mason’s contributions, stating, “He does so much that we don’t see … he’s always teaching when he’s on his days off, and he doesn’t know how to say no.” This sentiment rings true across town, as many identify Mason as a vital pillar of their community.
Recognition and Heartfelt Responses
After saving John Lawson, Vaughan Mason was honored with the Clegg Medal. This award honored his exemplary service to the Baralaba community, especially during the yellow grain silo crisis. This recognition has been met with an equally impressive outpouring of support from local residents. Mason expressed his gratitude for the community’s response, stating, “The amount of people that have been coming into the station to shake my hand … it really made me reflect on what it meant to everyone else as well.”
Lawson only just revisited the location of the crash in recent days. There, he was able to personally thank Mason in a reunion for his life-saving actions. Lawson recalled the terrifying moments while trapped, saying, “A lot of things go through your mind, and you think to yourself, ‘Hey, Jesus, this might be it.’” He praised Mason’s hands-on training and outreach to the public, saying both are crucial in emergencies.
“The training that he does with people is fantastic, the communications that he’s got with the public is great.” – John Lawson
It was Gwen Tennent who first resuscitated Mason’s character. She painted him as a “good bloke” who protects the most vulnerable people in the community. She noted, “There’s an older couple next door, he goes in there just to see if they’re OK … he’s very important here, people just take to him.”
Resilience and Reflection
Yet Vaughan Mason’s reflections on the rescue are notable as much for their humility as their sense of responsibility. He described the moment of success after rescuing Lawson: “The jubilation once we were out, everyone just took a deep breath.” He recognized the pressure and peril in such rescues but reiterated that his labor is not for naught.
“It’s a very, very humbling moment, and it just cements [the fact that] I don’t want to think that what we do is in vain.” – Vaughan Mason
We thank the community for helping to honor Mason’s efforts and underscore the incredible work that first responders do every day. They are critical to the safety and livability in rural places. As Baralaba continues to thrive, residents can count on Vaughan Mason’s dedication and expertise to guide them through emergencies and foster a spirit of resilience among their neighbors.