Bondi Blues | Bondi Rescue

Part 3

It was 5:45am, and I arrived at the Lifeguard Tower at Bondi to meet Deano and Harries to set up the beach. A few people were walking on the sand as the sun began to peek up over to the east, and a handful of surfers were trying to get in a good session before they went on with their day. I made a mental note to come early and bring my board with me the next time I opened.

Deano arrived first, and greeted me cheerily, saying, "Morning Charlie!" I smiled at him and replied, "Wow, you're a morning person." He smirked and said, "You've gotta be when you get up this early." As Deano unlocked the Tower, I heard a familiar voice say, "Morning Deano, morning Charlie!" Harries smiled at us as he walked up the stairs to the Tower. We sat down and Deano looked at the roster for today.

"Looks like it's us, Hoppo, Reidy, Bisho, Maxi, and Gonzo today." Harries asked, "Did Hoppo put up who's going where?" Deano glanced at the roster again and replied, "Gonzo's in the Tower on patrol, Reidy and Bisho are up here with him, I'm with Hoppo toward South Bondi, and you and Charlie are up at North Bondi." Harries turned to me after Deano said that I was with him and asked, "How well do you know Bondi?" I replied, "I've been surfing here since I was a teen, so I'd say pretty well." 

Deano smirked and added, "Well, we'll put that to the test today."

*

After we looked at the currents, swells, and rips across the beach, Deano and Harries decided to set the flags toward the middle of the beach. Harries took the infamous red and yellow flags to set them to designate the swimming area, and Deano took me with him on the Rhino to set up dangerous current signs. He explained how to put the signs in and make sure they were secure, and I asked, "What's your favorite part about this job, Deano?" He smiled and answered, "I think it's being able to make sure that people from all over the world can enjoy Bondi safely, and it sounds cliche, but saving people's lives gives you such a great feeling. Plus, all the guys on the squad are great - you're really gonna like them. We're like a family."

When Deano and I returned to the Tower, we started bringing out the rescue boards and placing them where they needed to be. We loaded the Rhinos with a board or two each, and we placed the rest along the beach. Harries towed out the jetski and left it attached to the Rhino in case we'd need it for a rescue or to chase away some unwanted attention from any ocean dwellers. As soon as we finished, I saw Reidy and Hoppo approach the Tower.

"Morning boys!" Reidy exclaimed, and I sarcastically replied, "Morning Reidy!" The boys chuckled and he said, "Sorry, Charlie... We haven't had a girl on the team in a while." I began to think of why that was, but I didn't want to think that my job was gone before I started. I was gonna fight to get on this squad.

*

At about 11am, the beach started to get really full. I was sitting on the Rhino up at North Bondi with Harries, and as we talked, Harries' walkie talkie went off. "Bondi Central to North Bondi," It was Gonzo's voice, and my adrenaline started pumping. "North Bondi, Harries here, Charlie's with me, go ahead." Gonzo said, "There's a struggling swimmer being taken toward the rocks from the rip, can one of you go in and get him?" Harries replied, "Yep, Charlie's going out now."

I looked at Harries, and he nudged me on, laughing as he said, "Go on." I jumped out of the Rhino, grabbed the rescue board and began running toward the struggling swimmer that I spotted drifting near the rocks. I paddled out strongly, and as I went over the last wave in the impact zone, I saw the swimmer's head go under. I frantically paddled my hardest and got to him, and I pulled him up from under the waves. "Sir, can you hear me?" I asked, panicking. I knew that the whole team was watching me. I took a deep breath, pulled him up onto my board, and analyzed the situation. I had to fight the rip back to shore, and I saw Harries, who was now standing up watching me, a first aid kit in hand.

I tried to wake up the man again, and I felt his breath for a pulse and felt nothing. Crap. I decided that, sadly, for my first rescue as a Bondi lifeguard, I needed to give the resuscitation signal. I lifted my arm and pulled down three times, and as I fought to paddle out of the rip, I saw Hoppo grab the defibrillator and take a Rhino toward where Harries was. After what felt like hours of strong and exhausting paddling, I finally caught a wave that brought me in to shore.

Harries and Hoppo immediately got the victim up off of my board and brought him to shore. I dragged my board and followed, and I saw Bisho there as well. "What happened?" Bisho asked as he got the oxygen mask out. "He was swept out toward the rocks by the rip. I got over my last wave and he was under. I pulled him back up."

Hoppo felt for a pulse and said, "Harries, start CPR." At this point, a small crowd had begun to form around us. I asked, "What can I do?" Bisho replied, "You did the rescue, now we got your back." Hoppo had attached the defibrillator and it spoke out instructions. It found a shockable rhythm thanks to Harries' CPR, and as the guy was shocked, he took a deep breath. The group of people around us clapped, but none of the lifeguards were phased.

The guy began to cough up water, and Bisho said, "Roll him on his side." They did, and as the man started to come to, Hoppo said, "You're alright, mate. You're alright, we got you." Harries' walkie talkie sounded, and it was Gonzo, saying, "Ambo's here, the paramedics are coming down now. Reidy's giving them a lift to you."

I watched as the paramedics started to take over, and one came up to me and asked, "You were the lifeguard who rescued him?" I replied, "Yeah. He was drifting toward those rocks over there," I pointed and continued, "I got over my last wave and he went under, and I pulled him out."

The paramedics, along with Harries and Hoppo, helped take the man up to the ambo. Deano must have just started his lunch break, because he came straight over to me and asked, "You alright, Charlie? That was a great job." I blankly replied, "He wasn't breathing on the board when I was taking him in, and I almost got stuck in that rip..." Deano grabbed my shoulders and said, "You got him out and helped us save him, Charlie." I came out of my little trance of shock and the adrenaline wearing off and replied, "Yeah... I guess I did."