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Cliff fall: Best mates act fast to help unconscious teen Blake Hayes who fell near Warriewood blowhole

Before emergency services could get to Blake Hayes, who fell down a cliff yesterday, his mates risked their own lives to keep him alive.

When a teenage boy fell down a cliff near Warriewood blowhole yesterday, it was a group of best mates who were first at the scene to help.

Blake Hayes, 16, slipped about 10m onto a rock shelf about 4.15pm on Monday near the notorious cliff jumping spot.

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At the same time, Blake Morgan, 20, Alex Baker, 24, Matt Marlin, 24, Jonathan Aukett, 19, Michael Byron, 20, and Kai Morgan, 12, were sitting above.

Blake Hayes was flown to hospital early yesterday evening.
Blake Hayes was flown to hospital early yesterday evening.

Mr Aukett said they were enjoying the warm weather.

“We were all sitting in the sun on the cliff and a boy runs up and he looks like he’s seen a ghost. He starts screaming ‘I just saw a kid die. I heard a snap’,” he said.

INDUCED COMA FOR BLOWHOLE FALL TEEN

Mr Morgan said the first thing he felt was shock.

“We didn’t want to go down and see him but we thought that if he was alive, we had to help,” he said.

Lisa Morgan with son, Blake Morgan, who scrambled down the rocks to help save Blake Hayes. Picture: Bradley Hunter
Lisa Morgan with son, Blake Morgan, who scrambled down the rocks to help save Blake Hayes. Picture: Bradley Hunter
Warriewood blowhole on Turimetta headland.
Warriewood blowhole on Turimetta headland.

“We look down and there’s a pool of blood. Then he moves his arm. We just realise at that point that he’s alive and we have to get down there.

“I told my brother Kai, don’t look down there. Then we went as fast as I could.”

The path from the cliff top involves scrambling down rocks, then a small abseil down a fisherman’s rope and a slender track to a series of cliff edges.

Mr Morgan said their instincts took over when they reached him.

“When we got down, his arms were badly broken and there was blood everywhere,” Mr Morgan said.

“He wakes up and he just starts screaming ‘I broke my back. I can’t move’.

Blake Morgan and Jonathon Aukett, were with Blake Hayes just before the accident. Picture: Bradley Hunter
Blake Morgan and Jonathon Aukett, were with Blake Hayes just before the accident. Picture: Bradley Hunter

“I held his head in place. We’ve all done first aid, we all surf, so we knew to keep his neck still.”

While surf life savers headed to the area on jetskis, Fire and Rescue people arrived at the top of the cliff where Mr Byron was ­watching.

“I overheard them saying they couldn’t hear the life guards and needed to get walkie talkies down there,” he said.

“I said ‘I’ve run this track a thousand times, I’ll do it’.”

Mr Marlin also found himself ferrying supplies up and down the treacherous path.

A rescue helicopter arrives at Warriewood blowhole on Turimetta headland yesterday.
A rescue helicopter arrives at Warriewood blowhole on Turimetta headland yesterday.

Mr Morgan said he held Mr Hayes’ head still for an hour and 45 minutes while Mr Aukett held an IV drip upright.

“There were a few moments where I thought he’d died,” Mr Morgan said.

“When the paramedics gave him morphine, there was a moment where he just stared at me and glazed over, then he got really heavy and I thought, this is it, then he smiles. That was the biggest relief.”

Mr Morgan’s mum Lisa said she was proud of the boys.

“You hear so much about young men being irresponsible or getting drunk but here is an example of a group of really good guys who have been friends since high school, doing something brave.”

The boys believe Mr Hayes was not jumping off Warriewood blowhole.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/cliff-fall-best-mates-act-fast-to-help-unconscious-teen-blake-hayes-who-fell-near-warriewood-blowhole/news-story/3f29fbfc33c8de07310c6f8ec0f22553