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Heroes recognised at NATSAR awards
Every year the National Search and Rescue (NATSAR) Council presents awards for outstanding courage, endurance and selflessness in saving the lives of others.
In September, NATSAR Chair and AMSA General Manager of Standards, Brad Groves reflected on the heroic efforts of nominees and award winners of both professional and citizen rescuers for 2018.
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2018 NATSAR award recipients: (L-R) Josh Peach, Joel Howell, Damian Bidgood, Alan Jackson, Han-Wei Lee, Zeb Critchlow, Andrew Self and Brad Groves.
There were four award categories:
- Professional Search and Rescue Award
- Professional Commendation Award
- Non-professional Search and Rescue Award
- Non-professional Commendation Award.
Image supplied by Ola Löfquist
Professional Search and Rescue Award
Elliot River, Queensland boat rescue
Recipient: Detective Sergeant Andrew Self of the Queensland Police Service
Detective Sergeant Self accepted coordination of the rescue and set out to reach the stricken vessel with the aid of the local Volunteer Marine Rescue surface-response vessel.
However, when they arrived at the scene, it was apparent the Volunteer Marine Rescue vessel was too large to get close enough to assist the stricken vessel. A smaller rescue boat was sourced from the State Emergency Service. Several failed attempts were made to approach the stricken vessel.
With little time to spare, Sergeant Self—who was on board the State Emergency Services vessel—swam 50 metres to the vessel under rough conditions and in complete darkness. He guided both men to the rescue boat.
However, the 72-year-old man was unable to pull himself from the water even when assisted, so Sergeant Self stayed in the water to protect the man as the SES vessel dragged them to a more sheltered beach where they were able to get on board safely.
Both of the rescued men were treated for minor injuries, shock and hypothermia. Detective Sergeant Self suffered a sprained wrist but was otherwise uninjured.
Vessel ran aground: Elliot River, Queensland boat rescue of two men aged 29 and 72.
Image supplied by Andrew Self
Professional Commendation Award
Midnight Hole Cave, Mystery Creek Tasmania rescue
Recipients:
- Sergeant Damian Bidgood, Senior Constable Josh Peach, Senior Constable Ingrid Pajak (Tasmania Police),
- Anna Ekdahl, Han-Wei Lee (Ambulance Tasmania)
- Alan Jackson, Stefan Eberhard, Michael Packer, Serena Benjamin, Andreas Klocker, Ric Tunney, Janine McKinnon, Gabriel Kinzler, Amy Robertson, Darren Holloway, Ola Löfquist, Loretta Bell (Southern Tasmanian Caverneers)
The stranded woman had fallen into the Midnight Hole Cave at Mystery Creek, breaking a femur. The challenge for the rescue team was immense: the Midnight Hole Cave is a six-pitch vertical system almost 200 metres deep. It is located on the side of a steep hill—a 50 minute walk from the nearest road.
Sergeant Damian Bidgood said that in his experience it was the biggest and most difficult vertical rescue in recent years.
‘We were working in dark, wet and cold conditions,’ he said.
‘The passageways were narrow and confined, sometimes with barely enough space to get the stretcher through. Taking the rescue stretcher down into the cave, helping paramedics to secure the woman in it and working with the team to set up the rigging that got her out safely was an experience I will never forget.’
A ground party at the top of the cave then carried the woman approximately 800 metres down a steep, slippery hill, where a rescue helicopter performed a night stretcher-winching operation to transfer the woman to the nearest hospital.
The cave rescue was an excellent example of how inter-agency training resulted in emergency services and volunteers all working well together in performing a rescue in challenging conditions.
Successful inter-agency operation: Midnight Hole Cave, Mystery Creek Tasmania rescue of a 47-year-old French national.
Image supplied by Ola Löfquist
Non-professional Search and Rescue Award
Marion Bay, Tasmania boat rescue
Recipient: Zeb Critchlow
Mr Critchlow risked his own life to save two men in Tasmania’s Marion Bay in June 2018.
He and his fellow surfer Luke Bugg launched their jet ski that morning from the Boomer Bay boat ramp. On arrival in Marion Bay they heard calls for help from surfers already in the water—alerting them to an unfolding emergency.
Two men nearby were clinging to an overturned vessel in five-foot surf. Both men had lifejackets on, but one jacket had not inflated and the man was unable to swim.
Mr Critchlow used the rescue sled on the back of the jet ski to retrieve the man and drop him to a nearby boat outside the surf line. Mr Critchlow returned to fetch the second man and towed him to safety.
When Mr Critchlow heard there may have been a third person trapped under the vessel he and another friend returned to the upturned boat. He dived under the upturned boat numerous times to locate the third person, becoming trapped a couple of times and tangled in fishing line under the upturned vessel.
After many attempts without locating the person, Mr Critchlow and his friend scouted the area for 45 minutes. Nobody was sighted. A later conversation with the rescue helicopter crew revealed that unfortunately a third person had been on the vessel and had passed away.
Non-professional Commendation
Southport Seaway, Queensland jet ski rescue
Recipient: Joel Howell
The two men had been jet skiing approximately 500 metres north of the Southport Seaway off South Stradbroke Island, when they were flung from the craft and sucked out to sea in a strong rip.
Although the pair were both wearing lifejackets, Mr Howell’s friend was dragged underwater and swallowed large amounts of seawater. He struggled to stay afloat. He was disorientated, weak, dizzy and nauseous, and had difficulty breathing.
Mr Howell kept his friend afloat as they struggled to swim across the rip until a Westpac Rescue Helicopter spotted the two men in the water and winched Mr Howell’s friend to safety.
Mr Howell managed to swim back to the jet ski and was escorted back to shore, assisted by a member of Surf Life Saving Queensland.
More on NATSAR
Visit natsar.amsa.gov.au/award
From Working Boats, December 2018
