Minutes before Zachary Curtis and Bethany Mills began cycling on Saturday afternoon, they mused about what they would do in an emergency.

They resolved to ring triple-0 and didn’t give it a second thought.

Little did they know their musing would turn into a full-blown emergency at Pomingalarna Reserve.

Bethany had fallen off her bike, hitting her head as she fell down an embankment.

The stakes were high.

“I heard this bang about 50 metres down the track,” Zachary, 13, said.

“I dropped my bike, ran over and called triple-0.

“It was scary.”

As Bethany was airlifted to Canberra hospital in a critical condition, Wagga paramedics were praising Zachary for his quick-thinking.

They said his efforts were instrumental in Bethany’s survival. The 16-year-old continues to be in a serious, but stable condition.

Zachary is praying for his friend.

“It just shows awareness for kids is really important,” he said.

“Kids need to know what to do when something happens when your parents aren’t around.

“I just did what any normal person would do.”

Another man who was at the scene, Shaun Ward, said he was surprised at Zachary’s sharp focus in an emergency.

Mr Ward was flagged down by Zachary soon-after the incident. They were able to bring Bethany up to level-ground and put her in the recovery position.

“Zach was really good,” he said.

“He was straight onto the ambulance and we were able to get help.

“I just did my bit, what any person would do.”

Zachary’s mother, Liz Curtis, said the Mills family were taking each day as it comes. 

Ms Curtis said the family’s spirits were high, but the teen still faced a long recovery. She reiterated the imporance of children’s education in how to deal with emergencies.

 “It’s really humbling to know what your children are capable of in an emergency,” she said.

On Saturday, Inspector Eamonn Purcell said paramedics were “incredibly indebted” to the duo’s actions.

He said the location of the accident, about 400 metres from the fire trail, was not accessible by vehicles. 

“They were absolutely invaluable and ambulance were very grateful for their assistance,” he said.