Hero honoured for brave rescue
HE may not like the tag but there is no doubt about it — Andrew Brooker is a hero after he leapt into dangerous surf at Wollongong’s City Beach to save two young boys who had been caught in a rip.
Macarthur
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HE may not like the tag but there is no doubt about it — Andrew Brooker is a hero.
Mr Brooker, of Thirlmere, will be awarded a Royal Life Saving Commendation Award next week for bravery. In September last year the paramedic, 40, leapt into dangerous surf at Wollongong’s City Beach to save two young boys who had been caught in a rip.
During the incident, 32-year-old Shaun Oliver lost his life attempting to help Mr Brooker rescue the children.
Mr Brooker had been in Wollongong on a day out with wife Laura and son Luca when they noticed two children being swept out to sea. Mr Brooker jumped in while Laura rang 000.
“We hear these people screaming for help and we can see these kids in the water being dragged out, the parents weren’t locals, didn’t understand the conditions and couldn’t swim,” he said.
“We’ve looked at each other and said shit we’ve got to get these kids, there weren’t that many people down there.
“We got the first one pretty quick and got him out of trouble and then I went back to get the next one and that’s when I got into all sorts of trouble.”
Mr Brooker reached the second child about 70m out from the shore and attempted to bring him back.
“After about 20 minutes or so of being in the water another gentleman (Shaun Oliver), who had just been walking on the beach that day came in to assist me because I was really in a lot of trouble,” he said.
“After about 20 minutes or so Shaun came in to assist me,” he said.
“He got out to us and I said to him; ‘take the kid, I’m F****d’, I really thought the next wave was going to do me.”
Mr Brooker managed to get back to shore but Mr Oliver had been separated from the second child.
“I somehow managed to float back in but when I turned around they had become separated, the kid was still afloat but the other fella was drifting further out,” he said.
“From nowhere this dude appeared on a surfboard and was able to grab the kid but we lost sight of Shaun.
“When the ambos got there he had floated to shore.”
Mr Brooker and Laura, who is a registered nurse, took care of the children as emergency services attempted to revive Mr Oliver before Mr Brooker was taken to Wollongong Hospital.
Mr Brooker said Mr Oliver had helped save all their lives.
“He got to me when I thought was done, I’d only just come back up from under water, I thought I’d been under water for only about 10 seconds but it was actually two minutes,” he said.
“I really want to say, I’m sorry to Shaun and his family. He didn’t get to go home and he’s a dad with three kids.
“I never got to thank him for coming in, I wouldn’t be here without him. It’s sad that somebody had to give their life for something that was totally avoidable.”
Mr Brooker will receive the Royal Life Saving Commendation Award from NSW Governor David Hurley on July 25.