Amy Reaburn and her sister Kelly, a CFA volunteer from Highton, were among 15 Victorians to be honoured by the State Government and Ambulance Victoria for their courage in life-threatening emergencies.

The 2009 awards were presented at a ceremony at Parliament House in Melbourne last week.

The pair received the award for rescuing a 14-year-old girl they found floating face down and unconscious in the Geelong Sea Baths in February.

A nurse at Lancefield Country Practice, Ms Reaburn and her sister were going for a run along Eastern Beach when they noticed the girl floating.

"It didn't look right so we asked a swimmer to go over and check if she was breathing," she said.

"She wasn't, so we jumped in and got her out of the water and worked on her until the ambulance got there."

The girl, who was swimming alone, had suffered a seizure and stopped breathing.

"She was very blue and not

very well. We found out a couple of weeks later that she was OK apart

from a lung full of fluid." Ms Reaburn later learned that a Geelong MICA paramedic who attended the scene had nominated her and her sister for the award.

"I was extremely proud someone had nominated me, but I just think anyone would have done the same. I think it was fate we were going past and were able to help."

The pair lifted the girl onto an elevated decking and went through the normal first aid procedure before paramedics arrived with oxygen about half an hour later.

Ms Reaburn said it was the first time she had to use her nurse skills in a life-threatening off-duty situation and urged people to be safe by the water this summer.

"The nurse thing just kicks in. It's automatic, but it's totally different from in hospital. You don't have oxygen or tools, so you just do whatever you can and call an ambulance."

Health Minister Daniel Andrews commended the unsung community heroes on their selfless acts of bravery.

"These cases highlight that a medical emergency can happen to anyone, of any age, at any time and that preparation is the key to providing crucial help to those who need it. In many cases they continued to provide valuable assistance after paramedics had arrived."