Stories about Bondi and other Lifeguards
I was on duty as a lifeguard on Waihi Beach, in NZ. Having being very close with all the other lifeguards, i started to wonder where one of my mates had gone (also a lifguard).
It felt like only minutes ago he was standing beside me talking about the surf. In that spilt second of thinking I hear the tower radio crackling, we were getting a call in saying that a male was face down on the rocks not moving. Now next to our club there is a mountain.
Not Mt.Everest, but a decent sized one where if you fell from the top onto the rocks, well it certainly wasn't going to end at all to well. Many people jump off a certain ledge called suicide. The name says it all.
All eyes and ears in the tower were focused on our Captain Steve awaiting his instructions. Being a keen lifeguard, i was happy to hear that i was to be the crewman in the IRB. Along with Ben the driver. Running down to the IRB at full sprint had almost every public eye on us. Pulling the IRB into the water waves bashing hard and pushing us back, like it was telling us it was to strong for us.
We had other lifeguards running down the stretch of the beach to head up the mountain to evaluate from above. Roaring over a few waves headed out, we then headed along towards the rocks. Rounding that corner could only compare to the feeling that I was expecting to see hundred people lying on the rocks all I could think of was my mate. Above the cliff i saw people looking down, holding their hands up to their mouths, eyes wide then looking at us.The lifeguards. And when we had visual I noticed his position, his non movement, and his hair of all things. That strangely instantly connected me to my mate. It was him.
My heart stopped along with the sound of the waves , the roaring of the IRB motor and my driver talking to me just went completely silent. Only way to safely get to him was to swim in over the rocks. Grabbing the rescue tube, while waiting for the wave to come in i had it around me without taking my uniform top off. Wave came and i was in the water. There was nothing on my mind, i will honestly say nothing. My soaked shirt should have been weighing me down but i was determined to get the rocks.
Calling out to my mate, wasn't showing any movement still or verbal reactions. The moment was growing more and more intense. Catching a ride up with a wave i managed to hold on. But without warning straight after the wave that helped me the next was straight behind to take me down. And that it did. A double wave, was the last i expected at that moment. My grip had become loose as i was preparing to climb the last arms reach of him, coming down on the side of the rock plummeting into a whirlpool between rocks my eyes were only fixated on my friend. The patient.
Being under the water battered around for a good minute, i surfaced just in time to see another set coming in. In this cramped wedge between the rocks the only thing was to go down and hold on until the waves smashed and disappeared. In doing that above the water the driver and my friend had seen this all happen shouting for me, and then they were the ones who began to panic and lose all from their minds. Surfacing again, i headed straight to the IRB, battling against the rough little breaks of waves feeling so small against the mighty ocean and its friend the mountain.
Along the lines of being the rescuer I had become the victim/patient. Reaching the boat and climbing in i was then told it was a mock rescue. This rocked me from inside out. Relief, and disappointment were what hit me hardest. I had failed even if it were a mock rescue. We retrieved out "patient" and followed on with procedure, onto the beach and into the first aid room where all routine was covered. Debrief next.
The next day, along with a couple of other guards we practised rock entries. With success, minus the cuts and bruises we came some of us came out with. The saying goes..."IN IT FOR LIFE" And that's me.
Taylor C
I came out of the water unconscious and Deano brought me back to life
Kaylen M
It was a cloudy windy day on Frankston Beach.
At 2pm we got a call on our radio saying "Frankston Base Rescue Rescue Rescue". It was one of the patrol walks. Then our Patrol Captain Beau wanted me to race down the beach with the fibre glass rescue board. I had to run 900m.
Then I sat down I then suddenly spotted 2 swimmers with their hands up in the air. I suddenly knew what was happening they were drowning.
At this stage this was my first rescue I had ever done in my 13 years of life. I raced out there in the water the wave crashing right on top of them. I signalled for assistance and Beau got the other swimmer. I went past the first girl and went to the one who was in more trouble.
I grabbed her hand and she wasn't breathing. I flipped her onto the board and got her to shore then she woke up I got her to the oxygen and then I suddenly felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside me. That night I went home feeling good about myself.
G'day I’m Ash. I’m a lifesaver (SRC) at Frankston Beach (Melbourne).After watching EVERY episode of Bondi rescue and the lifeguards saving people it felt weird knowing I had saved a life and if we weren’t there she would of died. That was my first rescue I had ever done.
I have now done 6 rescues and it is only half way through the season. It made me realize without you guys Bondi Beach would be very dangerous. To me you guys are the real heroes in the world. Good luck and keep on saving lives.
Ashley P
Age: 13
Hey guys of "Bondi Rescue Lifeguards"
I hope you remember me. My name is Sebastian M, and i am the guy
which hit the ground with my head during surfing, last wednesday the
21st of January 2009 at about 11.30a.m. (5 hours before my flight to
Germany)
I came bleeding out of the water. I had a reopened cut between my nose and
my lips and a big scratch under my eye. Dean gave me lift to the Lifeguard-Tower, and you guys gave me first aid.
>At this point i wanted to say:
Thank you very much guys for the first aid and everything , you're great
people!!! The wounds (cut and scratches) healed very well, and there's only a small
scar left.
Sebastian or Curly (my nickname in Australia)
