Kiter saves a woman's life...

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Beersy
Beersy
TAS
753 posts
TAS, 753 posts
25 Feb 2010 8:18am
Just heard on the radio on the way to work that a Port melbourne Kiter pulled a woman from the water and performed CPR on her, don't know the full details, but sounds like a good effort. Good on you who ever you are, Big thumbs up
teako
teako
VIC
37 posts
VIC, 37 posts
25 Feb 2010 9:09am
heard that too, great effort
fuelled
fuelled
9 posts
9 posts
25 Feb 2010 6:11am
I've pasted the report from Ambulance Victoria below:
http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/Ambulance-Victoria/Media-Centre/News/Kite-surfer-saves-woman-after-near-drowning.html

Amazing effort from the so-far anonymous kiter!! All the more reason kiting should never be banned from any beaches!!! :)

Rob

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Kite surfer saves woman after near drowning

24 Feb 2010

A kite surfer will be recommended for an Ambulance Victoria Community Hero Award after rescuing a drowning woman from Port Phillip Bay this evening.

Advanced life support paramedics from South Melbourne and two single responder intensive care paramedics were called to the beach near Kerford Road just before six o'clock after reports of a near drowning.

Advanced life support paramedic Tim Gray says a woman apparently fell from the back of a jet ski

'The woman was fully clothed and got into trouble so waved to attract attention,' Mr Gray said.

'A kite surfer had gone out to her about 100 metres out in the water and found her face down.

'She was face down in the water for about two minutes.,

The kite surfer did some chest compressions on the woman while they were still in bay and she coughed up some water.

Mr Gray said the kite surfer got the woman to shore and continued providing first aid.

'He was able to get her into shore somehow and started to treat her and she coughed up some more water.

'When we arrived she was very cold and semi conscious.

'We put a space blanket on her to warm her up and assisted with her breathing and gave her some oxygen.

'The woman was treated on the beach and then moved into the ambulance where we fitted a cervical collar on her in case she had suffered a spinal injury when she came off the jet ski

'The kite surfer provided some great first aid

His efforts were fantastic - he has done a tremendous job. It was quite a strong on-shore wind so it would have been a tremendous effort to get to her and drag her in and provide the aid he did which almost certainly saved her life, Mr Gray said.

The woman was taken to the Alfred Hospital in a serious condition.
ENDS
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inkfest
inkfest
2 posts
2 posts
25 Feb 2010 6:36am
Nice work. Must have been a night of madness for our jet ski lovers, i body dragged a large chap back to his jetski up near Station Pier around 5pm when he and his partner had fallen off and his jet ski was making a rapid approach to the rocks lining the pier to the Spirit of Tasmania. His lady friend was quite distraught and another mate tried to body drag her in but she didn't have the strength to hold on. All worked out well, wouldn't be surprised if it was the same group as they had a bunch of mates on the beach.. red and white seadoo i think.
Saffer
Saffer
VIC
4501 posts
VIC, 4501 posts
25 Feb 2010 9:38am
Congrats to the kiter in question (Sean Richardson). He's actually a Pyschologist for STK footy side so it was probably the ideal person for it to happen to because he's had some medical training. I think he might be one of the Liquid Force team riders (not sure about the LF part, as I said, I think). Sorry if I mentioned your name Sean, but it would be good for people to know who you are to thank you.

Great to see positive publicity for kiting in the Melbourne. Would be nice to see a kitesurfer getting an award for a change.
Jfree10
Jfree10
NSW
30 posts
NSW, 30 posts
25 Feb 2010 10:26am
Where was the guy driving the ski or was she alone?
Saffer
Saffer
VIC
4501 posts
VIC, 4501 posts
25 Feb 2010 10:39am
Jfree10 said...

Where was the guy driving the ski or was she alone?


They didn't give too much info in the article, but it sounds like the jetskiiers made a couple of mistakes, one of which was a lack of lifejackets which could have cost them dearly.
Aorta
Aorta
VIC
244 posts
VIC, 244 posts
25 Feb 2010 10:40am
The woman was fully clothed


lol, obviously not expecting to come off the thing.
Aorta
Aorta
VIC
244 posts
VIC, 244 posts
25 Feb 2010 10:42am
Aorta said...

The woman was fully clothed


lol, obviously not expecting to come off the thing.


i Just found footage of the incident

Saffer
Saffer
VIC
4501 posts
VIC, 4501 posts
25 Feb 2010 10:48am
And on a separate note, I think its a disgrace that this terrible kiter ignored the swimming zones to help someone. What was he thinking? Was he going more than 5 knots in a 5 knot zone? I think he should be fined and stripped of his award for irresponsible behaviour. He should know that South Melbourne is not zoned for kiting close to shore, what was he thinking helping people. The responsible kiter would have launched from St Kilda, rode across to her, body dragged her back 1km to St Kilda while ensuring he remained outside the swimming areas and then helped her there

Aorta
Aorta
VIC
244 posts
VIC, 244 posts
25 Feb 2010 11:27am
haha, not to mention he came within 50m of a swimmer!
Bryden
Bryden
VIC
32 posts
VIC, 32 posts
25 Feb 2010 11:33am
Props to Dr. Sean... I'm not surprised he came through in the clutch...
WillyO
WillyO
QLD
263 posts
DEK
DEK
VIC
2 posts
DEK DEK
VIC, 2 posts
25 Feb 2010 12:16pm
Sounds like yesterday was the day for it. I dragged a girl who had fallen off the back of a jetski back towards her partner yesterday in the same spot. She had a life vest but i was suprised when she mentioned she couldn't swim.

Well done to the kiter who made the rescue yesterday. Makes me think i need to brush up on my CPR.
davo4772
davo4772
VIC
64 posts
VIC, 64 posts
25 Feb 2010 4:02pm
That's worth a carton for sure.
Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse
WA
592 posts
WA, 592 posts
25 Feb 2010 1:11pm
DEK said...

Sounds like yesterday was the day for it. I dragged a girl who had fallen off the back of a jetski back towards her partner yesterday in the same spot. She had a life vest but i was suprised when she mentioned she couldn't swim.

Well done to the kiter who made the rescue yesterday. Makes me think i need to brush up on my CPR.


WOW, some bogans are just begging for natural selection these days

D
Ben De Jonge
Ben De Jonge
WA
819 posts
WA, 819 posts
25 Feb 2010 1:20pm
Ha! LOL Now that's ^^^ funny!
harry potter
harry potter
VIC
2777 posts
VIC, 2777 posts
25 Feb 2010 4:40pm
good work Shaun ..... some nice positive coverage from the media sources as well............. I would say a certain young lady probably owes you a slab or two.

The fact that she was fully clothed and not wearing a life jacket is however rather dissappointing ......... actually I should re-phrase that to ' not dressed appropriately "
Beersy
Beersy
TAS
753 posts
TAS, 753 posts
25 Feb 2010 5:16pm
Aorta said...

Aorta said...

The woman was fully clothed


lol, obviously not expecting to come off the thing.


i Just found footage of the incident




Hahaha. Eastbound and down is fkn hilarious.
Skid
Skid
QLD
1499 posts
QLD, 1499 posts
25 Feb 2010 7:27pm
fuelled said...

‘The woman was treated on the beach and then moved into the ambulance where we fitted a cervical collar on her in case she had suffered a spinal injury when she came off the jet ski


A cervical collar? Is that a collar fitted to her cervix?
seanor
seanor
VIC
8 posts
VIC, 8 posts
26 Feb 2010 12:10am
Cheers for all the comments from all the kiters on the Forum here.

I guess I was just in the right place at the right time. Sounds like there were quite a few other rescues the same day.

Seems like the councils should get tougher on licensing for jet skis (and maybe go a little easier on kiters), ensuring people can swim properly before giving out a license, and making sure they understand weather and wind conditions. Yesterday was only 20C with 25knot winds = wind chill of about 5C - that's enough to get hypothermia even if you don't fall off your jetski. No life jackets or wetsuits...people just don't know what they are doing.

Happy that the girl is going OK - she was in pretty rough shape - actually thought she might be dead when I got to her (lying face down in the water & unconscious).

Thanks again, guys.

Sean Richardson
AKSA
AKSA
NSW
46 posts
NSW, 46 posts
27 Feb 2010 4:48pm
HUGE effort there Sean. Must be an awesome feeling to have someone out there who is only out there because of your actions. You may humbly claim to simply have been "in the right place at the right time" but Im sure every kiter everywhere; and lots of others; applaud your actions.

There has been, over the years, more than just a few similar stories where kiters have 'saved the day' where no-one else could have. It is one of the very important issues on the AKSA 'to do' list to have these stories written up in detail and published on the AKSA and state KSA websites. A drop down headed "HERO STORIES" where everyone could read this incredibly positive side to our sport would go a long way in upping our PR and would be a great link to include in submissions attempting to maintain beach access.

Sean - if you or someone close could get your story documented, maybe with some pics etc, and submit it to KBV - your Victorian arm of AKSA - then it may just be impetus enough for all states (ie AKSA) to get this one job off the drawing board and into action all round the country.

There will be discussion of an official AKSA response to this incident at Tuesday nights scheduled phone conference of the board.
KiteboardingVic
KiteboardingVic
VIC
418 posts
VIC, 418 posts
1 Mar 2010 10:20am
KBV in contact with Sean - will document using the available stories along with Sean's comments if he is willing.
axis
axis
VIC
399 posts
VIC, 399 posts
1 Mar 2010 10:59am
Top effort - did you kite out, ditch the board and drag her in? She was so lucky you were there and not only able to drag her in but give first aid.

Well done Sean. If rescuing a kite is worth a slab (not that I have ever received payment) then what is this worth?????
wishy
wishy
WA
1501 posts
WA, 1501 posts
1 Mar 2010 8:29am
What is the best way to hold someone for a bodydragging rescue? (assuming they're not a kiter and you can't just grab their harness?
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