JEREMY Paterson’s Christmas was a little merrier this year, thanks to the heroics of his five-year-old son, Jett.
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On December 14, the pair had been riding motorbikes in the Lilydale Forest Reserve when Mr Paterson crashed, breaking his left leg in two places.
With only Jett to call on for assistance, Mr Paterson gritted his teeth and told his son to go and find help.
Concerned for his father, the five-year-old jumped on his red quad bike and located two mountain bike riders, who called emergency services.
Mr Paterson now has six screws, a titanium rod and 20 staples in his leg and was confined to crutches over Christmas.
But the Launceston firefighter said the situation could have been a lot worse if it weren’t for Jett’s quick thinking and bravery.
‘‘I’m really proud of him and he’s done a fantastic job ... he was really brave and he came through with the goods,’’ he said.
Mr Paterson said his biggest concern at the time wasn’t his injuries, but Jett’s safety while riding alone and looking for help.
‘‘It was a really stressful time. There are hundreds of acres out there and lots of roads,’’ he said.
‘‘I was concerned he might have got lost — there was only one way out of it.
‘‘I was trying to feel my toes to see if there was a pulse there or anything like that.
‘‘I was trying to sort myself out and look for a plan-B. The plan was to jump on the bike, but I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to achieve that.
‘‘I was really worried about staying conscious.
‘‘I was in a lot of pain, but I never showed him that. I was smiling when he went off and I tried to keep a jovial attitude. It was a different story when he left though.’’
Jett said he made sure he followed his dad’s instructions when looking for help and is glad his dad is now OK.
‘‘I told [the mountain bike riders] to follow me and they said ‘we’ll follow you’,’’ Jett said.
Mr Paterson is expected to make a full recovery and could be back at work with the Tasmania Fire Service in late March.