The miracle survival of a man and his hat

What started out like any normal day during harvest season for Wagin farmer Stanton Kennedy-Smith earlier this month soon turned into a terrifying fire emergency.

Like most of the farmers in the region, the 62-year-old is a volunteer firefighter and has responded to lots of bushfires over the past decade.

“My co-worker Sarah, the second header operator, alerted me to smoke behind a hill. The fire was about 3 kilometres away in a paddock on the neighbouring property – it looked like a standard header fire,” Stanton said.

“I know how to read fires pretty well and it didn’t look too big, so myself and Sarah jumped on the back of the farm fire truck and headed over there, picking up Joe O’Brien on the way.”

“We were among the first fire units on the scene, so we began putting the flames out – but then the conditions changed.”

While other local fire crews were arriving and providing assistance, the trio stood exposed on the back of the truck using nothing but the water from their tanker to hose down the flames.

It was then that Stanton, Sarah and Joe suddenly found themselves surrounded by a wall of rapidly moving flames as the truck was escaping.

“The fire quickly engulfed the truck – it was just that intense,” Stanton said.

“It was this immense heat and the only way I can find to describe it was like being inside a furnace.”

“Somehow the truck kept running and I was screaming at the driver just to keep going, while also spraying water behind me in an effort to help save Sarah and Joe as I really thought they were gone.”

There were two things that occurred during the fire that Stanton credits with saving his life. The first was putting his hand over his mouth which saved his lungs from smoke inhalation, and the second was his trusty Stanton wool hat which saved the top of his head and face from being severely burnt.

As he was being transferred on to another ute to be taken to safety, the hat blew off into the stubble and Stanton quietly thanked it for its service.

Stanton’s attentions then quickly turned to Stanton’s partner, Susan Mills, as the fire was headed straight for their homestead.

Susan was preparing everything to evacuate. A registered nurse herself, she knew exactly what to do when she saw Stanton’s badly burnt body.

“I put him straight in the shower and made sure he was under the cold running water for half an hour – it’s the only thing you can do for burns,” she said.

“I then covered Stanton in wet towels and drove him to our closest hospital at Wagin.”

Initially treated at Wagin, Stanton was then taken to Narrogin Hospital before being transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) where he was taken straight to the Burns Unit.

FSH Burns Service Clinical Nurse Consultant, Sharon Rowe (pictured with Stanton and Joe O’Brien), said Stanton received burns to 12 per cent of his body which required surgery.

“Stanton’s care consisted of dressings and surgery with split skin grafts and spray on skin cells to his back, arms, hands and elbows,” Sharon said.

“With the initial burns first aid that Susan made sure Stanton received, it really put him in a position for a good outcome with some areas already healing quite well.”

“Now that Stanton has been discharged, he will be seen at his local hospital for dressing changes, while we keep track of his progress via telehealth appointments and the Photo Review Clinic.

“Given we’re a statewide service, we always try to get our patients discharged as soon as it’s clinically appropriate so they can continue to receive care closer to home.”

Before Stanton was discharged last Friday, he was reunited with Joe (pictured with Stanton, Susan and Joe’s wife Ann) who has been receiving treatment for his burns as an outpatient at FSH. Thankfully Joe is on the road to recovery, along with Sarah who only received minor burns.

Stanton credits the medical staff at all three hospitals with not only helping him heal physically, but also emotionally, and is incredibly complimentary of the Burns Unit.

“There’s nothing like this place – it’s just incredible. It really is first class the treatment I’ve received from the doctors, the nurses, the physios, the cleaners, absolutely everyone.

“To be able to recover in such a fantastic facility with highly professional and dedicated staff is such a gift.”

And with it being the season of giving, Stanton and Susan were thrilled to see his beloved wool hat miraculously returned to them.

“He’s worn that hat every day for the past seven years. Our grandson Quinn and I had recently sewn on a little red car button to hold the hat band together as it was starting to fall apart” Susan said.

“To see it sitting on the back table, complete with a dozen eggs, we just couldn’t believe it.”

“I just cried when I saw it. I hugged and kissed and thanked the hat for saving his head and face – I was just so incredibly grateful.”

Stanton is now settling back into life at home just in time to celebrate with his family for Christmas.

“We have six daughters between us, along with three grandsons, so we will be catching up with some of them for a quiet get together at the farm,” Stanton said.

“I’m looking forward to going on some bush walks together with Susan and my dog Spotlight, and of course my Stanton hat.”

You can read more about Stanton’s story in The West Australian (external site).

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