General News
11 April, 2026
Seconds matter: how two Avoca women stopped a tragedy unfolding
WHAT could have been a tragic start to April in Avoca instead became a story of quick thinking, action and the importance of emergency preparedness. Avoca Post Office manager Rebecca Wardlaw and her daughter Jess Moschetti were praised after helping a local delivery driver during a serious anaphylactic reaction on April 1st.
Ms Wardlaw said the incident began when local StarTrack delivery driver Leigh walked into the post office during his usual run.
“In my usual way I asked him, ‘How’s your day going?’” she said.
But this time, the answer was anything but routine.
After being stung on the neck by a bee, Leigh was suffering a severe allergic reaction. To make matters worse, he had accidentally left his EpiPen in a different lunchbox that morning.
“What are the chances,” Ms Moschetti said.
Realising the seriousness of the situation, Ms Moschetti rushed to the local pharmacy to see if an EpiPen was available, while emergency services were called.
“It was scary, but it was something you’d do again for anyone in a heartbeat,” Ms Moschetti said.
With no EpiPen immediately available and the clock ticking, the situation quickly became critical.
“Even if we had given him an EpiPen, it wouldn’t have been enough.
“I was getting ready to do CPR, not that it would have helped a lot but it was still better than nothing,” Ms Moschetti said. “It was too close.”
She said the incident showed just how vital a local ambulance service is for rural communities.
“You don’t realise that if there had not been an ambulance in Avoca, he wouldn’t have survived,” she said.
Ambulance Victoria Acting Avoca Team Manager Tinashe Mapindu said it was a critical situation.
“Upon arrival the patient in his 30s was critically unwell, experiencing respiratory distress, skin reaction and was unable to speak.”
Mr Mapindu said anaphylactic reactions can escalate rapidly and should always be treated as a medical emergency.
“Anaphylactic reactions can be unpredictable, and the patient’s condition can worsen in a short amount of time, so it’s important to recognise and treat them accordingly,” he said.
“For this case, the bystanders did an exceptional job acting quickly to call Triple Zero (000), reassuring the patient and attempting to locate an EpiPen.”
Ms Wardlaw said a good Samaritan also stepped in, running to the nearby information centre to see if anyone else had an EpiPen on hand.
“You have got to have it within five minutes.”
The frightening ordeal has since sparked wider discussion in the community about emergency preparedness and the availability of EpiPens in public places.
Ms Wardlaw said she believed the incident showed the need for a broader local conversation.
“Why don’t we have something? I think there needs to be some consideration. I think conversation needs to be had on how we mitigate this going forward, because it may never happen again but it could be a four-year-old child,” she said.
“We don’t necessarily need to solve the problem but I think we need talk about it. We might take it to council, in our communities what do we do in these situations.”
She said there had already been discussion between the mother and daughter about the possibility of a community fundraising effort to help improve access to EpiPens, which cost generally between $93 and $110.
“There might be things we can do. We were talking about doing a fundraiser thing, I know they expire, so every year we replace them,” she said.
The incident also led to the local pharmacy reviewing stock, with EpiPens now available in Avoca after the gap was identified.
Ambulance Victoria’s Tinashe Mapindu reminded everyone about the time critical response when it comes to anaphylaxis.
“We recommend everyone diagnosed with an anaphylactic allergy carry an in-date EpiPen. If you see someone experiencing anaphylactic symptoms such as respiratory distress, sweating, vomiting or changes in colour, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.”
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