Lakes Entrance lifesaver Eden McMillan nominated for Heart Volunteer Award

Lakes Entrance volunteer lifesaver Eden McMillan has been part of many rescues, but none more memorable than when her sister was involved.

Eden McMillan, 17, volunteers with Lakes Entrance Surf Lifesaving Club. Picture: Laura Ferguson

Lakes Entrance Surf Lifesaving Club volunteer Eden McMillan is a nominee in The Weekly Times Heart Awards, supported by the Powercor Country Festival. Heart celebrates the contributions of volunteers to rural communities.

Eden McMillan became a lifesaver to be confident in the water, and her skills helped save her sister’s life.

Eden, 17, has been involved with the Lakes Entrance Surf Lifesaving Club since she began in Nippers when she was seven years of age.

But she said her first major rescue was on a boat, rather than from the beach. Her sister injured her spine in a boating incident, and it was Eden who got her to shore.

“Having those skills enabled me to help her, which is really good,” Eden said.

When Eden was 13 she received her surf rescue certificate, allowing her to help with the Nippers and also start patrolling. When she was 15 she got her bronze medallion.

Last season, it started to go full circle as Eden started to learn how to train the up-and-comers those same skills.

On top of that, she did 92 patrol hours, and in May ran the first-aid at the Paynesville site for the Gippsland Lakes Paddle Challenge.

She said her family had boats and were around the water often, so joining nippers and being a lifesaver had helped her learn about being safe and confident in the ocean.

“I like being able to watch out for the community and know there is someone on the beach if something happened,” Eden said.

“It is also good at teaching me different skills … and also watching the other people I have helped train partake in rescues and first aid cases and things like that.”

The winners will be announced on June 30 in The Weekly Times.

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