E
FRE
January 28, 2016
Your independent local newspaper
-
Issue 125
Ph: 4325 7369
Andrew Church is Citizen of the Year
Carnage at Avoca Beach
ight of Gosford City’s finest citizens and community groups have been recognised at the annual Australia Day Community Awards on January 25, held for the first time during special Australia Day eve celebrations in Gosford.
E Surf live savers and ambulance officers set up a triage in the car park at Avoca Beach to treat casualties on Australia Day
t least 20 people were knocked off their feet and smashed against rocks near the cliffs at the southern end of Avoca Beach at lunch time on Australia Day.
A
Two people with critical injuries needed to be transported to hospital and another five, also with critical injuries required ambulance attention. Director of life saving for Surf Life Saving Central Coast, Mr Brett Beswick, who was first on the scene at Avoca, described the incident as “carnage”. Mr Beswick said the incident occurred about 100 metres around the corner from the southern end of Avoca Beach on the ocean side near the spot known locally as the “mermaid pools.” “Three families had come up from Sydney for the day, they were picnicking near the pine trees near the car park at the southern end of Avoca Beach but they decided to go for a walk to give their kids a play in the mermaid pools,” Mr Beswick said. According to Mr Beswick, Central Coast
beaches are currently experiencing what he described as a “long interval swell” due to the prevailing cyclonic conditions off the Queensland coast. This means the lull between sets of waves can be very long and conditions may look flat for 15 minutes or more at a time. “When the wave does hit, it can be unusually powerful because it has such a long time for the energy and power to build up,” Mr Beswick said. The wave that struck at Avoca on Australia Day was strong enough to knock at least 20 people off their feet and towards the cliffs. Fortunately, none were pulled back into the sea, although rescue craft were launched from the beach and several surf life savers reached the area on their rescue boards. Mr Beswick said it was fortunate that the incident coincided with a life-saver
shift change, which meant there were more life savers on hand than at other times. “Five people needed to be carried out on stretchers,” he said. The person with the most critical injuries suffered a broken leg and arm, another had a broken ankle and a dislocated elbow and a third had a dislocated shoulder. Others were treated for serious cuts with one man requiring 30 stitches to his leg and a 10-year-old boy was treated for concussion. Mr Beswick said those who sustained the most serious injuries were aged from 30 to in their 60s. “The junior life savers who were just out of nippers and doing their first season of patrols did an amazing job of caring for and bandaging those with minor injuries and just comforting the people who were in pain,” he said. “Other families having picnics at the beach gave
up their chairs and towels and helped to comfort people with injuries.” Ambulance crews came from Terrigal, Bateau Bay and Point Clare to assist. “We were just thankful everyone got to go home,” Mr Beswick said. “It could have been a lot worse, we were lucky none of the children was seriously injured and there were no spinal injuries,” he said. Mr Beswick said the lesson to the taken from the freak accident at Avoca was to “always respect the ocean and never turn your back on it. “Stand and watch for 15 to 20 minutes so you can assess conditions properly, it all comes down to respect,” he said. Mr Beswick said Australia Day is always one of the busiest days of the year on Central Coast beaches and patrols will continue until the ANZAC Day long weekend in April. Interview, Jan 27, 2016 Brett Beswick, Surf Life Saving Central Coast Jackie Pearson, journalist
Local military historian Mr Andrew Church was named 2016 Citizen of the Year for his tireless work to create a unique cultural and historical landmark for the Gosford City community. Opened to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing in 2015, Mr Church’s Central Coast Interactive War Exhibit at Gosford is the only heritage venue of its kind on the Central Coast and the largest in New South Wales. An active member of many community groups, including the Gosford RSL Club, Gosford Chamber of Commerce and Gosford RSL Re-enactment Group, Andrew is committed to keeping the ANZAC spirit alive in our community. Gosford mayor Cr Lawrie McKinna said the awards would make sure Australia Day is extra special for Mr Church and the other award recipients. “I’m always impressed by the calibre of the Gosford City residents who receive our Australia Day Community Awards, and this year is no different,” Cr McKinna said. “Not only is this time of year a great chance for us to come together as a
community and nation, it’s also the perfect occasion to recognise these residents who are inspirational role models for the entire community,” he said. A Gosford City Australia Day Community Award is the highest civic award that a resident or community group can receive on a local level. Gosford City councillor, and chair of the Gosford City Australia Day Committee, Cr Jim Macfadyen said each of the awards recipients had tirelessly served the Gosford community. “Thanks to the efforts of these eight leading citizens and groups, our community is a more inclusive and better connected place for us all to live in,” Cr Macfadyen added. “Each award recipient prides themselves on getting involved in the community and they deserve to be publicly commended for their great work. “I would also like to once again thank our judging panel which is always faced with some very tough decisions,” he said. Media Release, Jan 25, 2016 Gosford City Council media
Office: 120c Erina Street, Gosford Phone: 4325 7369 Fax: 4321 0940 Mail: PO Box 1056, Gosford 2250 E-mail: editorial@centralcoastnews.net Website: www.centralcoastnews.net
READ & SHARE WWW.COASTCOMMUNITYNEWS.COM.AU