Surf lifesavers reveal the motivations keeping them determined to watch over swimmers each summer
Ocean tragedy can strike at any time. Members of the southwest coast’s red and yellow army reveal why they risk their lives to keep us safe.
Warrnambool
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Victoria’s southwest is home to some of Australia’s most beautiful and iconic beaches.
Now the summer holidays have arrived and beaches are expected to reach peak time with visitors and tourists flocking to the coastal environments.
The surf lifesaving volunteers work extremely hard every summer season to ensure the community is in good hands of our well-respected heroes.
Here the some of the courageous lifesavers of the southwest who have shared their lifesaving journeys.
JOHN WHITSON - WARRNAMBOOL SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“I always had a bit of an attachment to the ocean as a kid and I got involved in the Nippers program.
It’s the fact that you are a part of a voluntary group and can provide to the community, it’s a great club, great people and a good association with the water.
It gives you a bit of satisfaction that you’re helping out the community and providing a service that benefits everyone.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“Throughout every season you always have smaller rescues such as people getting caught in rips.
We do have more major ones — a couple of years ago down there was one on the Mighty Bay — and it was nearly knock-off time on patrol and just lucky we were still set up and we got a call for three people who were stressed in the water down in the rougher part of the bay and there was a reasonable sea rolling and it was lucky I was out in the rubber duck and someone rang through.
My colleague David Owen jumped in the rubber duck and we headed out and we had to go out a fair way to navigate our way in because there was a fair sea running and we managed to extract them out of the water and got them to the beach and gave them first-aid.
If we happened to be a little later, I don’t think the father —one of the people we rescued — would have been too good, so we probably just got there in time.
We gave them some oxygen and a couple of the guys on patrol came to assist until the ambulance arrived so that was probably the major one for me.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“One of the biggest awards I received was Lifesaver of the Year for Warrnambool about three years ago, that was a nice achievement to be recognised.
I haven’t had a lot to do with the competitive side of it, it’s more just patrolling and assisting with the club and it’s a lot of fun.
I have also been a Patrol Captain for the last three years.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“I suppose everyone has different skill levels as far as swimming and everything like that goes and there’s some prerequisites to take up.
You can always try and build your skill level, and if there’s anyone interested, my advice to them is to come to the club after hours as anyone is more than welcome to be there.
Most of the younger Nippers come through who want to volunteer and they develop their skills as they go so there’s some really high achievers there. Anyone can achieve anything.
Try to educate yourself in recognising rips, if anyone is ever unsure of the conditions just ask someone at the club, they’d be more than happy to point out the better places to swim and what the conditions are like if anyone’s unaware.”
JACKSON FARY - WARRNAMBOOL SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“What gets me out of bed everyday is a lot of things. It's being part of a community down there as well.
So the whole community thing, and then because it goes so many different ways, you’ve got the life saving aspect, you’ve got the competition aspect and the emergency response aspect.
So probably more feeling like being part of a big community out there, especially out in Warrnambool —a few other clubs are different — but for most southwest clubs, we kind of live where our surf club is and it intertwines with the whole community, especially if you work or live down here,
It’s got of aspects of all committees, even through work and doing charity drives for funding and surf safety awareness.
So I’ll say the community side of it gets me out of bed every morning and gets me motivated to go down there and train and put my red and yellow on.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“Probably the biggest water-based rescue would have been when lifeguarded over in England for 12 months.
When I was 21, I went abroad just as a gap year and life guarded with another fellow from Warrnambool named Ben Carey.
Over there the people aren’t as well exposed to water, so the knowledge of what people have over there is so much less than around here especially in southwest Victoria because it’s kind of ingrained — going to school, and going to beaches and rivers.
Over there, we did a fair few rescues. We did one mass rescue with four kids jumping off some rocks.
We got some jet skis out there and although not too serious, it’s that’s probably the biggest rescue on the water.
The most heavy rescue was actually not that long ago when being on patrol with John Winston.
We were driving back from the flood relief work in Central Victoria, we were still on duty in our read and yellows and there was a pretty bad motorbike crash with one person who ended up passing away and three other people who were seriously injured.
It shows it can happen anytime even when you’re not necessarily at the water’s edge.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
Last year, I was awarded the Ski person of the year for the club which was really nice to be awarded for all the time, effort and dedication you put in.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“Some advice I would give is that you don’t have to be a surfer and you don’t have to be a massive ocean-goer but if you have an interest in the ocean and want to learn a new skill — just the general feel with all the clubs around here — it’s super friendly and accommodating so anyone is more than happy to train you up and are very supportive.
Joining the club will make it challenging enough where you like you feel like you’ve been pushed and at the same time you feel safe and you feel like you can really grow as well.
I would reach out to the club captain of any surf lifesaving club you want to join and get your bronze medallion which would be a good first step.
I think put your head down and have a go. When John and I were away on the flood release stuff, there was a guy there who said five years ago he moved to Mount Martha and wanted to get his bronze and he was around 40 at the time and now he is a patrol captain.
It shows that if you didn’t do Nippers growing up or start when you were 15, you can join anytime.
We see it all the time down in Warrnambool seeing great club members come through, their kids are doing Nippers then the next thing you know the parents are heavily involved in the club, getting their awards and absolutely loving it.
You are never too old or too young and if you want to try it out, reach out to a surf club as they would be more than happy to take you on board and give you the training to show you how it’s done.
Just a few safety things as well, always make sure when you’re down the beach to swim between the red and yellow flags and always go swimming with a mate.
If you’re ever unsure of the conditions ask the lifesavers on the day and do your own risk assessment as well.
The Warrnambool Surf Club is awesome, I think it’s got a great mix of competition and life saving and it seems like its stronger than ever.
We’ve got probably the most members we’ve ever had before.”
SCOTT MCKENZIE - PORT CAMPBELL SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“As club president, my motivations are overseeing the continued success of our club and to make sure that all our members from the Nippers right through to our older members are all having fun and getting the most out of their life saving experience.
Volunteering has been part of Port Campbell for over 100 years and it’s good to be a part of a volunteer organisation.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“Our most tragic one was the Easter Sunday 2019 accident that happened when we lost two of our members and a third member was permanently injured, that was the biggest situation we have ever been involved in.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“None of us volunteer for awards side of things, but it is nice a bit of recognition.
I have won our club award for most passionate member a few times which is something I’m really proud of and earlier this year I was awarded life membership of our club.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“My advice would be to anyone who is not already member, whether they’re six years old or sixty years old, rock up to your local club or jump on web search and get in contact with a club and find out how to join because you get so much out of being apart of life saving anywhere in Australia.
There’s many programs right from the junior programs that all the clubs across the state and across the country run for Nippers.
There’s many opportunities for kids to develop and go away on camps with kids from other clubs and being involved in personal and professional development workshops.
It’s a great community, family orientated feeling being in a life saving club and for all of the young kids it’s such a great thing for them to have on their resumes.
I often get asked at this time of the year in particular if I would be happy to be a referee for them when they are applying to different courses at university or tertiary studies or whether they are applying for other work.
For a young person to be able to show that they have volunteered their time, they have given up their weekends to assist with doing voluntary patrols at beaches where the surf clubs are is just a real inspiration.
Additional advice would be to swim only at patrolled beaches particularly in the southwest when we have so much unpatrolled coast line from Apollo Bay all the way through to Warrnambool.”
KAI TRACEY - TORQUAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“I really just view it as helping out, doing my part in terms of helping out the community, and I want to use the knowledge and skills I have attained to make sure people are safe on the beach.
It’s my responsibility to use those skills and use that knowledge to help people that don’t have that.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“I have been patrolling for about four years but I haven’t had a single rescue on patrol.
It’s interesting how I could be patrolling one day then the next patrol might have five rescues, it’s such a variable thing.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“Last year I won youth member of the club for my involvement with speaking to the younger kids in kindergartens, and helping out around the club with camps.
In terms of qualifications, I recently got my Gold Medallion at a life saving camp a few weeks ago which was really good and last weekend I got my licence for driving inflatable rescue boats.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“Trust the lifesavers. If you have a question or are ever worried, the best thing to do is to ask the lifesavers.
They know the beach, they will know what’s wrong, what’s right and they will tell you where the dangers are.
The lifesavers will probably be the most knowledge people about that particular beach you’re on, so the best way to go is to talk to a lifesaver on patrol and if there’s not lifesavers on the beach patrolling then email the club or call Life Saving Victoria (LSV) in Melbourne as they will be able to help you out as well.
It’s just the matter of trying to find that knowledge and going into the unknown.
In 2019, a 21-year-old French-German had come down for the summer in Torquay, he ran into the water and hit a sandbar and ended up being quadriplegic and was completely paralysed from the neck down. He had to get sent home back to France.
So it’s all about taking the steps for your safety as well as everyone else’s safety.
Being knowledge is the best advice I can possibly give.
At Torquay, I have made so many good friends and you really learn a lot about yourself, your skill level and the water.
You also have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and LSV has so many pathways and it’s got something for everyone, whether it’s an administrative role, whether it’s being in the water on the jet skis, whether it’s being in the rescue helicopter.
I feel like everyone should have a go at it and inquire as it’s an amazing environment and an amazing thing to do.”
BEN HARRIS - TORQUAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“It’s kind of been embedded since I was a Nipper, the whole lifesaving scene and have patrolled beaches since I was 14.
Starting out in Nippers and then going through all the age groups helped me build strong relationships with my friends.
What motivates me to this day now is that I’ve got a good group of friends and connections around the surf club and the motivation is really drawn upon being surrounded by all everyone.
It’s quite special with all the culture we’ve got here and it’s all part of a service you want to provide to keep the community safe and keeping the beach safe at the end of the day.
It’s all about being active in the community and helping the newest members that come up to the surf club and going out of you way to sit on the beach for six hours with your mates and keeping it safe.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“I’ve been lucky enough to have not had any major rescues, but one rescue that does come to mind was two summers ago now when there was this girl that was very far out in the sea and was struggling to keep afloat and I was just lucky enough to get there on time.
The surf was quite big and it was quite challenging to reach her but I got there in the end and I was lucky because if I was a few moments later it probably wouldn’t have been a better outcome than it was.
That’s one of the most serious rescues I have been involved in.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“I have been recognised within my club winning the President’s Award and winning the Best Club Person of the year. I have also received my Gold Medallion.
I don’t really have a goal of winning those awards, I think those awards are just on the way when you join the surf club and build connections.
I was fortunate enough to win those awards and I was very humbled, but the main goal is helping people and that’s the best award to me.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“Surf life saving is one of the most iconic cultures of Australia and is quite special, especially getting involved at a young age.
I recommend trying it out as you can build friendships that last a lifetime.
Surf life saving clubs are very welcoming and they are one search away on the internet, they are very open to discussions.
Clubs can provide pathways that can progress you through ocean safety, beach management, advanced resuscitation techniques and receiving your medallion qualifications.
The beauty of it is there is no limitations, so you can jump in, give it a go and there’s always a niche you can be a part of.
The reason why I do come down to the surf club is because I’ve got a fantastic group of people surrounding me and I wouldn’t be around the life saving scene if they weren’t by my side and I am blessed with the team I have.”
KIMMY GILLING - TORQUAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“There’s so many things. Probably the biggest motivation is how much of a community sport it is especially at the Torquay Surf Club.
Four of my best friends and people who I have grown up has given me that family aspect and a big driver for me.
When I moved down here, I was taken in with open arms and love how everyone young and old at surf clubs are so willing to pass down their knowledge about the beach and for someone who grew up in Melbourne I really appreciated that.
What I like is being able to do that for other people who come down during the summer from Melbourne.
Knowledge is passed down through stories and word of mouth which is my favourite part.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“Fortunately I haven’t witnessed any big rescues but during a patrol or a guarding shift we do a few rescues everyday but I haven’t had the experience of a mass rescue or super serious first-aid rescue.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“I’m both a competitive surf lifesaver and a beach lifeguard, so competitively I’ve made state teams and won state medals.
Last year I got the Club Captain Award which was really great because that was an award to be recognised not only my competition ability but also my community service to the club.
I am involved in a lot of Nipper SRC and bronze training, helping the upcoming generations — that’s where I implement myself in the club a lot.
Just again as I like to pass on my knowledge and skills to others.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“For me, it would be to get involved.
Everyone’s willing to accept anyone even if you haven’t been from a beach background like I wasn’t and there really is something for everyone in surf life saving.
On patrol we work as a huge team, so maybe you’re swimming abilities aren’t the best but you could be switched on when it comes to first-aid or dealing with the general public, which is a really big thing.
It is such a team aspect, if we do have a major first-aid situation and we have to call the ambulance, there might be ten or twenty people involved and you could be the person that went out and rescued them or the person who opened the gates for the ambulance.
No matter what role you do, you always bring something to the table and that’s really appreciated in surf life saving.
Clubs want as many people as they can get, with numbers a lot of clubs struggle to fill patrols.”
ELLA BRENNAN- TORQUAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“It’s the positive environment life saving has and I like to help the community.
It’s got a great sense of community and it’s a good thing to look forward to every season.
The friendships you make at the club last forever so there is so much to gain when you’re a lifesaver.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“Personally I haven’t had any rescues, but I have witnessed a rescue where the LSV jet ski brought in a man from the water who got hit by a surfboard in Torquay.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“Last year at the end of the season I won the most outstanding junior female surf lifesaver for the club.
I was also recognised for the 55 hours of patrol I did last season.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“When I first started last year, I didn’t have the understanding of it when I first started so I recommended putting yourself out there and you can’t lose anything but trying new things.
I made so many friends in the area when I first joined.”
JOE AMES — APOLLO BAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“Definitely the feeling of helping out my community by making our beaches safer and just knowing I’m there to help them as well as making friends and meeting new people.
The skills and knowledge of knowing the ocean has definitely helped — being able to read rips and being able to tell people where to swim and where not to swim.
At the moment with school I am helping out most Friday afternoons with kids teaching them about my experience, and having some great mentors through lifesaving has gotten me to where I am.
The biggest challenge is knowing what can happen while you are on the beach, because you’ve got a duty of care to the people in the water and on the beach while you’re on patrol.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“I thankfully haven’t had any rescues yet.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“Down here in Apollo Bay I received a Valuing Volunteers award with Life Saving Victoria for the 191 hours I completed over the season, which has helped me grow my confidence in preparation for any rescues in the future.
I was awarded both a club encouragement award and a ‘Best Patrolling Member’ award for my efforts last year.
I have also recently completed the Advanced Lifesaving Camp, and will be a Patrol Vice Captain in the upcoming 2022-23 season.”
SKY SMITH - APOLLO BAY SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
What are your motivations for the role and gets you out of bed everyday?
“Being able to form relationships on the beach and having those strong connections to make sure those beaches are safe is the biggest part I remember and being able to teach young kids to be able to save their own lives and others.
What gets me up everyday is to make sure the beach is safe, just knowing if we’re there and when we’re there we know that beach is safe and they can rely on us.
When I was just starting into surf lifesaving, I wasn’t very confident with the water, so just trying to overcome that fear and being able to get in that water and know that I can rescue people was a big challenge for me.
Being responsible for other people on the beach was a big fear of mine because you have to apply first-aid and you have to be quick to respond.”
Have you had any big rescues in your time as a surf lifesaver?
“Luckily for me I haven’t had any big rescues yet.”
What awards have you won in your time as a surf lifesaver and some special achievements you could share?
“I received a Valuing Volunteers award with Life Saving Victoria for the 109 volunteer hours I completed over the season.
I have recently completed the Advanced Lifesaving Camp and was a core member for the clubs ‘Pink Patrol’, which celebrates female contribution to lifesaving.
Moving into this year, I have become a Patrol Captain, and will work with Joe Ames to lead our own patrolling team.
I was also awarded a ‘Best Patrolling Member’ award for my efforts last season.”
What is a piece of advice you could give to someone who wants to become a lifesaver but is unsure how to go about it?
“Anyone can do it if they want to, if they want to overcome their fears they can do it if they want, it doesn’t stop them.
Never be afraid to come and ask us questions because there’s no silly questions.”
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