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OCTOBER 17 2012 WWW.NEWCASTLEPOST.COM.AU
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT PH: 49 610 310
Stay safe to live Campaign in honour of Courtney aims to stop tragedies TRICIA MOROSIN
JOURNOS BANNED Relations between Hunter Sports Group (HSG) and the Newcastle Herald newspaper seem to have taken a turn for the worse, with the Knights and Jets administrator banning Herald journalists from attending media opportunities for both clubs. The shock move comes as HSG claims that there has been a “negative campaign� driven by the newspaper.
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t’s been more than a year since 14-year-old, Courtney Simon, died after the dinghy she was on capsized in Lake Macquarie during wild conditions. But for her Mother, Cathy, the pain is still raw. “It’s devastating,� the Toronto mother said. “Courtney was so unique, she was full of life, happy and outgoing, loved to make people laugh.� Recalling the events of June 2011 is extremely difficult, however Mrs Simon is telling Courtney’s story to raise awareness of the importance of wearing a life jacket. “I got a phone call from [Courtney’s boyfriend’s] step Dad, saying there had been an accident and the boat had capsized,� Mrs Simon said. “He said, ‘but it’s OK, Courtney’s wearing a life jacket’. “The Police came around midnight and [by then Courtney’s boyfriend had] said she wasn’t wearing a life jacket, so I knew then that she was gone – I knew in my heart.� Mrs Simon doesn’t want her daughter’s death to have been in vain, which is why she’s launched ‘Courtney’s Rule’, an awareness campaign with the motto of “stay safe to live – your life jacket is your seatbelt on the water. Why risk it? Wear it�. “Accidents are called accidents because they’re unpredictable and by the time that accident happens, you’re in the water, you’re in a panic, the water’s cold, shock sets in, hypothermia sets in and your brain shuts down and you go to sleep – which is what happened to Courtney,� Mrs Simon said. “[That’s why] in all small boats it should be mandatory for everyone to wear a life jacket.� Funds raised by Mrs Simon have gone towards posters and stickers of ‘Courtney’s Rule’ which will be placed around Lake Macquarie. To fi nd out more, search Courtney’s Rule on Facebook.
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PAJAMA GAME Isabella’s inspiring fundraising idea PAGE 5
GREEN THUMBS Volunteers needed for garden project Cathy Simon with one of the ‘Courtney’s Rule’ posters
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