He said Turkish authorities didn't take the request for help seriously and, not knowing what else to do, he went to his local police station in Melbourne.

Constable Miller contacted the Turkish consulate, which was closed, before going to the Australian Federal Police and Interpol.

He had an address for the woman from her son, but by then the man was on a flight to Turkey and couldn't be contacted. Constable Miller used Google Maps to work through a list of similar addresses before locating the exact block of apartments the woman was living in.

Constable Miller's efforts prompted police and firefighters in Turkey to break down the woman's door. She was unconscious, but was taken to hospital and saved.

Her son returned to Melbourne this week and one of the first things he did was to drop chocolates off at the Cheltenham police station to thank the officer. He then contacted The Age to publicly recognise Constable Miller.