Tourist Terry Oliver an honorary Territorian after saving two people from drowning

Rescuing two people is not what you expect to do while on holiday but that’s exactly what one man did while he was in the NT.

RESCUING two people is not what you expect to do while on holiday but that’s exactly what Western Australian – now honorary Territorian – Terry Oliver did while he was in the NT.

Mr Oliver was on a 10-day holiday in the Top End with his two children, Shaylee, 12, and Brody, 9, from Esperance visiting close friend Patrick Jarman.

It was on a trip to Litchfield where the incident occurred while he and his kids were enjoying the sights near Buley Rockhole on September 30.

There, while taking pictures of his surrounds, he spotted two men flailing in one of the watering holes.

And he was calm under pressure when he realised the two fellow tourists were in real trouble.

It seems it was a typical move for Mr Oliver, known by mates as someone who would always be the first to offer help or lend a hand if needed.

“I was taking some photos when I noticed two blokes that seemed at first like they were mucking around,” Mr Oliver said.

“A lady nearby asked if they were all right and I realised then they were in trouble so jumped in and pushed the first one to the edge.

“Then someone pointed and the other fella was sinking. I dived down and helped him, he must have been 100kg plus but he came to and I didn’t have to resuscitate.

“I kept my calm throughout the incident. The lady there said that they would have drowned if I hadn’t have been there.

“I shook their hands afterwards. They were both stunned at the time and didn’t have much to say then and there but as we were leaving, they thanked me for saving them.

“Overall though we really enjoyed our time on holiday in Darwin.”

His heroics were recognised by his workplace Horizon Power giving him their ‘The Humble Hero’ award.