By Ron Lane
The core business of our organisation is of course Surf Life Saving: the protection of human life, those men women and children who come to bathe on our beaches. So, when members who have excelled in performance of the duties necessary to render our beaches safe are acknowledged by their peers, they should also be acknowledged by the community in which they serve. So be it.
Last Saturday, Dave Tomba Captain of Patrol 14 Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club, received a text informing him that he had been awarded the Jack McMaster (AM,DFC.) Medal for Lifesaving Excellence in Leadership for Queensland 2019/20.
And for their courage, dedication and devotion to duty, Patrol 14 was also named as the reciperant of the Jack Dearlove Medal for Life Saving Excellence while in performance of Duties, .
This award was as a result of the performance of all members of Patrol 14, on the afternoon of 18 January 2020, between the hours of 12noon and 7pm. The hours from 5 to 7 pm. were outside normal rostered patrol times. The areas in which the rescues and incidents occurred, ranged from Noosa West (the second beach) to the Fairy Pools of Noosa’s National Park.
In the log book, Patrol Captain Dave Tomba said in part, “I’d make special mention of some members, however that wouldn’t be fair on the others, as every member had their job to do and they all completed those tasks without complaint; and to the best of their ability.”
Sea conditions on that afternoon were not big, but they still required care and surveillance. The first incidents were two lost children. This was happily resolved: then three rescues were performed on West Beach, then a dislocated shoulder that required ambulance transportation to hospital, and a further two first aid cases (torso with multiple lacerations) and a badly gashed chin that required hospital attention.
While these matters were being attended to, a telephone call had been received that was to be of the utmost importance. Some young people on the edge of the Fairy Pool in National Park, had been hit by a wave and knocked in, and two were badly injured. Patrol 14 was informed and 6 members with 3 spinal boards, were immediately dispatched. On arrival the injuries were assessed and it also became apparent that it was impossible to evacuate by stretcher, as the pool is surrounded by rocks and breaking waves.
Also, it was not possible to get the patient from the Pool into the surf, and drag out to a patrolling IRB. Therefore, with the combined team work of paramedics, police and patrol 14, the patience, now diagnosed with suspected spinal injurie, was secured and the emergency helicopter performed an immediate evacuation to hospital. The other patience with major knee lacerations, was air lifted to Noosa Lion Park for ambulance transportation to hospital. A third person was treated for head and torso lacerations.
While all this was on going a jet ski was placed on roving patrol at West Beach, thus ensuring that all Main Beach was aptly patrolled for the final hour.
Because of the problems, the helicopter evacuations from the Ferry Pools, and the removal of all personal from the area, rescue vehicles didn’t return to the Noosa club until 7pm: therefore, all rescue equipment removed from the beach at 5pm had to be carried, pushed and dragged from the beach; then hosed down and packed away. As the majority of senior patrol members had been despatched to both National and Lions Parks, the young members (boys and girls some as young as 14 yrs.) were called on to burden the clean-up by assisting Patrol Captain Dave Tomba; and as he said “not a word of complaint.”
Then approximately two months later, (again at Noosa) 14 March at 1pm Patrol 5, under Patrol Captain Lilly Tindall, received word from SurfCom that a young man had been knocked from rocks at a height above the popular Fairy Pool in National Park. This information made the patrol aware that they could be dealing with leg, head and possibly spinal injuries. The patrol captain immediately dispatched her most experienced members and they were followed by an IRB team, and another back up team of three members. This team travelled in an SSV (Side by Side Vehicle) through the National Park. It contained oxygen, defibrillator and a first aid kit. On arrival, the IRB team was forced to land on rocks as there was no beach close by. They then scaled the rocks and began to stabilise the patient.
The support team arrived and as the ground was not suitable for vehicle traffic, they were dropped some 500 mts from the patient. Then carrying a 20kg soft pack of oxygen plus other first aid equipment, they arrived and proceeded to assist their team to stabilise the unconscious patient. Situated near a cliff face and in heavy rain, they waited for some 40 minutes for the arrival of the Paramedics and Fire and Rescue crews. Because of the rain and the cliff face, the decision was made to wait for a helicopter and perform a winch rescue.
After 3 hours, the young man was finally winched to safety and flown to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. The lifesavers were praised for their ability to maintain the condition of the unconscious man for over an hour before the first Paramedics arrived. Also, during this time, Oxygen Therapy was used and heavy bandages were applied to help stem the heavy bleeding caused by deep lacerations.
Because of their team work and coolheaded approach to the problems, they ably assisted in the saving this young man’s life. When you consider that the Patrol Captain Lilly Tindal was only 18 yrs. of age, and other team members in their early 20’s, the team award of the Jack Dearlove Medal for Excellence in rescue work, is very well earned.
It is interesting to know, the Jack McMaster Medal for Life Saving Excellence in Leadership (won by Dave Tombac) was named after a member of Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park Surf Life Saving Club. Known affectionally to us all as “Jackie Mac” he was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) in WW2,for “leadership” during bombing missions over Germany and New Guinea. The award of the Jack Dearlove (MBE) Medal for Life Saving Excellence in Outstanding Rescue Situations, is also well named. A Superintendent of Life Saving Australia, and a Life Member of Mooloolaba, he was when time permitted, a regular visitor to the Noosa Club. But above all, when years ago our Noosa club was struggling for existance and he was boss of Australian lifesaving, there was always a handshake for the Noosa boys and a very sincere, “Gidday mate, how’s Noosa going?”
The cancellation of the Coolangatta Gold has been a major disappointment to a lot of people: none more than Noosa’s Lana Rogers winner of last years, womens division. “I am devastated, completely devastated,” she said. “It just has not worked out for anybody. I was mentally prepared; a lot better than I was at the same stage last year. I am going to take a week off, and see what happens from there.”
When we take into consideration that she has been in full training for 13 weeks it is indeed easy to understand her disappointment: but this unfortunately applies to many other athletes throughout this great country. And the Olympians would have to be the hardest hit of all.
