May 2011
Not just another patrol Sunday 24th April
board was sent out to
assist the young boy on
his body board. As the
lifesaver got to him a
look of relief came
across his exhausted
face. With one flipper
short and struggling to
get his arms out of the
water, he rolled onto
the board and just
laid for a minute to
get his breath back.
While he lay there
the lifesaver tried to
paddle back
towards the river,
but the currents
were too strong
and they were forced onto the
Sunday the 24th April started just as any beach by the strong surf that was hitting
other day on the beach for Patrol them. With such a high tide they couldn’t
Number 7. Nice weather, big surf and a walk around the beach back to the river so
reasonable number of people on the they had to wait until the IRB could safely
beach to keep it interesting. reach them.
We had been warned of the dangers of As information trickled in about the surfer
high tide by the patrol captain who had who was in trouble at Urquharts Bluff, the
co-ordinated patrol the previous day and IRB suspected that the information was
we were aware of the one-meter waves wrong and, following several radio
that caused havoc in the river at high communications between command and
tide. With this knowledge we prepared Anglesea beach, they turned around. They
for the king high tide with an outpost then rushed back to assist in the rescue
patrol stationed at the river. Lining occurring below the caravan park.
themselves along the banks they worked
tirelessly warning parents, assisting both As the lifesaver and patient were standing
the young and old on body boards from at the base of the cliff facing 2-3 meter
the fast moving waters and the onlookers waves crashing from the front and then
who continually got washed over by the bouncing off the cliffs and hitting them
fast moving surf inland. from behind, they watched intensely for
the IRB to return. With one arm wrapped
Suddenly lifesavers were approached by around the patient and the other on the
a father who was concerned his son was board something had to give, so the board
in trouble around the corner towards the was let go; that could be fixed later! With
caravan park; the father believed his son, their feet locked into the sand and every
who was body boarding, was unable to set of waves trying to wash them back out
get back to shore and was being pulled to sea, fatigue was setting in as it had
by currents rapidly towards Bells Beach. been 15 minutes since they had met in the
As trained, they radioed patrol and asked break.
for the IRB to be launched to investigate
and assist, but just seconds later Surf
As the IRB came into view from main
command radioed and informed us that beach the crowd of police, SES,
police had requested that we investigate
ambulance members and a large number
a report that a surfer was in troubleof holiday makers held their breath each
towards Urquharts Bluff. With this
time they tried to make a run to shore. With
knowledge the IRB was sent to investigate
each large wave they had to judge the
the surfer and a lifesaver was sent on a
dangers and risks, Nick Tait and his crew
board to assist the body boarder. Mieke Foster battled the surf and waited
for the right time to safely approach the
cliffs. With one or two close calls they
With a growing crowd of onlookers, a ripped the patient from the surf and rushed
him to the safety of the first-aid room for a
check-up, a warm set of clothes and his
parents.
With a second IRB joining the rescue, the
patrol member swam around the cliffs
and joined a surfer who was also stranded
by the fast rising king tide. Again with
amazing skills Lachie Holbery-Morgan and
his crew managed to rescue the surfer
and his board, returning them back to the
main beach for a check up.
It had now been approximately 40
minutes since the first calls for help, with
only the lifesaver and a rescue board to
be collected. As Nick and Mieke returned
to the rescue they collected the rescue
board to try and return that to the main
beach, but with each attempt the surf
would rip it from their hands and with a
couple of very close calls on their own
safety they had to abandon it and it
leave for a later attempt. Collecting the
lifesaver was fairly easy a quick drive past
and pick up, but as they headed out to
sea they were hit by a huge set of waves,
just making it through the first, the second
knocked them about and the third wave
threw the passenger into the driver (Nick)
who landed on the motor and threw the
crew person out. As quickly as they could
they pulled the crew back in. Nick,
bleeding and in pain, managed to
maneuver the boat back to main beach
not thinking of his the injuries he was
suffering.
It was a fantastic job by everyone
involved, a long rescue that required the
best from everybody on patrol and the
club. Amazing effort goes to the ASR
members; Nick Tait, Cassandra Ong and
Alexander Ong, the others patrollers Lloyd
Simpson, Justin Burton, James Dooley,
Mieke Foster, Nikola Fry, Marcus Saunders,
Madeleine Steel, Madeleine Brown and
Stephanie Laird, the clubbies who jumped
in to assist; Lachie Holbery Morgan and
the many others.
David Simpson
Patrol 7 Captain
P.S. - David Simpson failed to mention that
it was he on the board and thank you to
David and the full team for the incredible
work they did in rescuing the two patients.
6
Dec
emb
 May 2011
Fifteen minutes with Mieke Foster
Over the Easter holiday Mieke Foster,
heard a scream for help from the
owner of the Riverview Restaurant,
having seriously cut his arm with glass,
severing an artery and a nerve. A
young physical education teacher also
came to his aid and promptly fainted!
Mieke calmed him down, applied a
pressure dressing from some material
she found, organized for her friend to
call an ambulance and notified his
wife. She also assisted the woman who
fainted. Although she felt a bit anxious
about the ordeal later that day, at the
time she was calm and efficient and
managed to prevent too much blood
loss before the paramedics arrived.
Mieke also played a key role in the
Easter Sunday rescue. At 16 years of
age Mieke is leading the way as the
next generation of lifesavers at
Anglesea SLSC.
How long have you been a member of
Anglesea SLSC and how old were you
when you joined?
I've been a member of Anglesea SLSC
since 2002, when I was 8 years old.
How did you get involved at ASLSC and
do you have other family members
involved?
My family has a beach house down in
Anglesea. When I was a kid, we came
down to Anglesea during the summer
and I did nippers with my sister, Katya. I
started getting more involved the year I
did my SRC because I'd made so many
friends, and I really liked the idea of
using what I'd learnt to help people. As
I got older, and got my bronze
medallion I was able to do more and
knew more people. Now, the more I do
it, the more I like it!
ASLSC Photographs
ASLSC is calling for photographs from all
areas and eras of the club.
ASLSC is trying to build up a Club record
of Photographs for the 60 Year
Celebrations in 2012.
Donations can be good copies of original Please contact Prue Weber on 03 9509 8629
photographs, slides, scanned images at to arrange collection.
What is it that you like most
about ASLSC?
The friends. Not just my
friends, but how everybody
is friendly to each other and
knows each other. There is
a real sense of community
and it is really nice to know
that everybody at ASLSC
has one thing in common,
and that is a dedication to
saving lives.
Have you learnt from
being a member at
ASLSC?
I’ve definitely learnt a lot!
I’ve, of course, learnt a lot
about the beach and
beach safety, but also
other ways of helping
people off the beach like
first aid. I’ve also learnt a lot about myself
and how to better help myself and abilities, skills and
others. But the best thing, has got to be endurance. I also really enjoy teaching
learning to just relax on the beach and other people how to stay safe on the
enjoy every minute of it before having to beach, and I look forward to every
go back to Melbourne! opportunity I get.
What’s your favourite memory of ASLSC? Is there anyone you look up to from
My favourite memory is probably from ASLSC?
the most recent summer, whilst during As much as I look up to a lot of people at
nippers a few of us took a group of less ASLSC for different reasons, something that
confident swimmers out to the water. We has struck me recently has been the way
played some games and taught them some people deal with crisis situations. If
swimming techniques, and basically something does happen on the beach, it’s
showed them how the water isn't really really important to be able to respond
all that to be feared. They came back a quickly, effectively and rationally. Having
lot less scared of the water, and I felt I confident and experienced captains is
had really made a difference. vital to be able to manage such a
situation, which is definitely no easy feat. I
Do you have any goals in Lifesaving? really do look up to all the patrol captains,
I really want to continue lifesaving, to for I believe they all do an amazing job
learn as much as I can and to test my doing what they need to on the spur of
the moment.
ASLSC AGM
500dpi, or loaned photographs that can be Please be advised the Anglesea SLSC
scanned & returned the copies. No emails Annual General Meeting will be held in
please. the
Ray Marsh Room
Originals photographs will be returned, so at 11.00am
please get searching on Sunday 14th August 2011.
Further information and official notice will
be forwarded shortly.
7
Dec
emb