Jonathan Breene was standing at the edge of a well, deciding whether to climb down, when his trajectory was etched. It was 1989. He was a young jackaroo on a station near Mitchell in western Queensland, responding to a distress call with his boss. A neighbouring farmer had collapsed at the bottom while tending to a malfunctioning pump. It took them 30 minutes to cross the properties to reach the well – and seconds for Breene, then in his early 20s, to realise he would be useless if his older, wiser boss also lost consciousness underground.So he went down himself, securing the farmer with ropes and pulling him to the surface. Both men were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, and the rescue earned Breene a bravery award from Queen Elizabeth. “I was young, dumb and lucky,” he says now, laughing. “The credit goes to my boss, Mr Harkin. He knew exactly what to do.” It was a canon event turned life lesson: when heading into the unknown, trust the wisdom of those who travelled before you.Anna McCooe is The Australian Financial Review’s senior travel writer.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?