On November 22, Jess Potter and fellow trainee Jacinta Holt were driving to Lake Albert at Wagga Wagga for a jog when they arrived on the scene of a crash between a car and a motorbike.

The 25-year-old motorbike rider had allegedly crashed into a Toyota sedan shortly after 4.30pm, leaving him unconscious with the life-threatening injury. 

Privates Potter and Holt packed the wound with gauze and managed to stop the bleeding by applying pressure.

“We did what we could with what we had,” Pte Potter said. 

“We had bandages in the car that we used to pack the wound.” 

They worked as a team with a civilian as well as the police to treat the injury and waited with the man until an ambulance arrived. 

The man was taken to Wagga Rural Referral Hospital’s emergency department before being airlifted to Canberra Hospital.

Wagga Ambulance station officer Adam Horsley later told Fairfax Media the first aid administered by bystanders had saved the man’s life.

“Without them he would have lost too much blood for us to save him within one or two minutes,” he said. 

A media storm erupted after the incident, with different organisations wishing to talk to the heroes who applied the first aid.  

“It’s a good feeling to know I can put my skills the School of Health has taught me into practice and be able to do something good,” Pte Potter said. 

“I love my job.” 

Pte Potter, an ex-student of Bega High School, said she was interested in medicine because she wanted to help the community. 

The 25-year-old enlisted in May last year and is usually based at the School of Health in Albury, but was in Wagga for placement at Kapooka. 

After she finishes her training, she hopes to move to Darwin, Townsville or Brisbane. 

The story of the crash and her efforts has reached back home to her family in Bega. 

“Mum and Dad were both really proud,” Pte Potter said.