Newcastle bodyboarder Ryan Duck speaks about stabbing at Pacific Palms
The 35-year-old has spoken on how he survived multiple knife wounds as he thanks emergency services, hospital staff and the wider community for their support. WARNING: Graphic images.
Newcastle
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As more than two litres of blood poured from multiple knife wounds in his stomach, chest and arm, Ryan Duck was thinking the worst as his mind drifted to loved ones more than 140km and a lifetime away.
With little phone reception at a Mid-North Coast campsite – and less of an idea of the damage inside his wounded body – the champion bodyboarder ordered his frantic workmates to push into him in a bold effort to put pressure on the incisions and keep him alive.
“I thought ‘I need to slow my breathing down, I need to stay calm and breathe – Soph is home and she is pregnant and there is no excuse, I just need to get home’,” Mr Duck said in his first interview since the November 27 incident.
Soph is Sophie Ceccato, the 35-year-old’s partner who is carrying their baby due in June and was sleeping in the Newcastle home they had bought just three months ago.
It was late on the Sunday night when police say Mr Duck was stabbed allegedly by a stranger at Tiona Holiday Park at Pacific Palms.
The licensee of Babylon Newcastle, which has just had a name change to Bartholomew’s, had taken about a dozen of his hardworking staff for a trip away following a long year and before the Christmas season got into full swing.
But the night of fishing and a few beers turned life threatening nearing midnight, with Mr Duck allegedly suffering one knife wound which went through his left bicep and into the side of his chest and another which penetrated his stomach.
He was able to stumble back to the park’s reception area before sitting down as someone ran to a beach for better reception to raise an ambulance and others worked to stem the bleeding.
“I just had two or three of my staff like just pretty much holding me, keeping pressure [on the wounds] because I knew I was in a bad way,” Mr Duck said.
Paramedics arrived and the Westpac rescue helicopter was called but even then there were unforeseeable problems – a brewing storm delayed the helicopter’s arrival and even when it landed, it took 40 minutes to get back in the air as gale-force winds smashed the area.
By that time, Sophie and the rest of Ryan’s family were informed and rushed to John Hunter Hospital for his impending arrival.
“There were a few elements that weren‘t in our favour but I was in the perfect hands mate,” Mr Duck said.
“They got us up and got me home as quickly as they could.
“I was in and out [of consciousness in the helicopter], vomiting a lot of blood, I lost over two litres of blood, so they had to put a few blood packs into me and five plasma packs.
“Yeah, frightening. I don’t think I could really get much closer to death. I think I was knocking on the door.”
As Mr Duck was wheeled off the helipad, he saw Sophie and his family through the mist.
And even then, he was thinking of them.
“It was pretty traumatic seeing Soph and the family,” he said.
“I just said ‘I love you and I am going to make it, baby’.
“I just wanted to keep her positive at that stage.”
As he was being prepared for surgery, police arrived to take a possible dying declaration in case he didn’t make it through.
Surgeons worked throughout the night to rebuild parts of his stomach, liver, spleen and diaphragm.
The wound through his bicep missed the major nerve by millimetres, allowing him the possibility of a full recovery and full use of his left arm.
He spent almost a week in hospital and headed home only for an infection to send him back to John Hunter for several days last week.
He is now recovering at home.
“The paramedics, the helicopter guys and everyone at the John were just amazing,” Mr Duck said.
“I wouldn‘t be alive if it wasn’t for all of them, and the surgeons and hospital staff have done such a brilliant job [with the wounds].
“It looks like I will make a full recovery.”
But the recovery will take some time, with a GoFundMe page raising $40,000 to help the Ducks with the mortgage and living expenses as he spends an extended time off work.
“The support I have had has just blown me away,” Mr Duck said.
“The amount of messages of support, and obviously the money, has been overwhelming.
“I really felt the love and that was a pretty good motivating tool for me to get off my arse and get out of bed.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for the support we have received, it has come from overseas, everywhere.”
And as for getting back in the surf, Mr Duck replied: “You can’t keep a duck out of water for too long.”
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