Bushfires: Families, communities honour fallen ‘local hero’ firefighters
Samuel and Megan McPaul were bursting with joy over Christmas as they eagerly awaited the birth of their first child.
Samuel and Megan McPaul were bursting with joy over Christmas as they eagerly awaited the birth of their first child, due in May.
But on Friday Ms McPaul’s sadness was writ large across the small community of Holbrook, in southern NSW, as hundreds of mourners gathered at Holbrook Sports Stadium to farewell the fallen NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer firefighter.
Samuel McPaul was killed during a freak weather event while battling the Green Valley blaze on December 30 when a 10-tonne RFS truck was flipped by a fire tornado at Jingelic, about 110km east of Albury in NSW.
He and Megan had been married 18 months when the 28-year-old died. On Friday, Ms McPaul accepted a bravery award on behalf of her husband from RFS chief Shane Fitzsimmons.
“It’s so difficult to comprehend the loss of Sam and none of us can be in your shoes at this difficult time,” Mr Fitzsimmons told her in his address. “Our hearts are breaking with you.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and state Emergency Services Minister David Elliot were among the mourners, and uniformed RFS volunteers formed a guard of honour as Mr McPaul’s family arrived, placing hands on hearts or saluting as they walked by.
RFS helicopters staged a flyover in tribute to Mr McPaul.
At about the same time on Friday in suburban Adelaide, a flyover featuring a small, red Pitts Special biplane roared across the sky in dangerously close formation with a larger white Beechcraft Debonair single-engine aircraft — a fitting prelude to a commemoration of lives described as having been lived to the fullest.
More than 500 mourners overflowed out of the Harrison Rivergum Chapel in Ridgehaven, in the city’s northwest, to hear tributes to outdoor adventurer and pilot Richard “Desert Dick” Lang, 78, and his plastic surgeon youngest son, Clayton “Clarrie” Lang, 43.
The pair died in an inferno on Kangaroo Island’s Playford Highway on January 3 as they returned to the family property after fighting a nearby fire for two days.
Lachlan Lang, one of Clayton’s three older brothers, said the keen skydiver, who like his father had a penchant for fast, expensive cars, had “died as he lived”.
“He really did enjoy taking things to the extreme. I’m sure that pedal was to the metal, beating a hasty retreat from the fires, and adrenaline was pumping in a race they tragically lost.
“There are so many questions we’ll never know the answers to, but perhaps we can take some comfort in the knowledge that Clarrie definitely lived a full life in his 43 years.”
Clayton Lang leaves behind his two young daughters, Sophia and Madeline, with former wife Christie.
“I’m just so heartbroken for them because they’ve lost their Daddy. I hope I can help them in any way I can as we try to heal as a family,” Lachlan said.
Eldest brother Derek said his father and youngest brother were “larger-than-life” figures.
“We grew up in the shadow of our father, ‘Desert Dick’ the adventurer. He always seemed to us to be like a force of nature,” he said.
“We dealt with it in our own way, some of us by rebelling, but I think Clarrie was going to try to exceed him at his own game by also being a larger-than-life character.”
Derek said their father had given them a “rich” childhood in many ways.
“One aspect of this was an exposure to the great land we’re surrounded by, all of its flora and fauna,” he said. “Dad loved it and I’m glad he was able to live his life, doing what he loved, on his terms, for as long as he did.”
Derek said his “long-suffering” mother, Helen, had been his father’s “rock”.
“Mum and Dad were a combined team effort, Mum working a lot behind the scenes uncredited, but, as I mentioned, Dad really adored Mum and never hesitated in letting us know.”
Twenty-seven Australians have died during the current bushfire season, which began back in August.
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