Captions by Red
Captions by Red Bee
Captions by Red Bee Media.
OSHER GUNSBERG: On Bondi Rescue...
LIFEGUARD: His eyes rolled to the back of his head.
..a man collapsed on the shore.
He was unconscious in the water for around five seconds.
And Maxi's back.
Oh, handsome boy? Oh, handsome?
(BOTH LAUGH)
One of Bondi's favourite lifeguards is on a roll...
Hey, stop. I'm getting youse in, alright?
..with lifesaving rescues...
Oi! What are you doing?
No more Mr Nice Guy!
..and an awkward injury.
Oh, sorry, mate. It was quite gruesome.
Three, two, one. Go.
Ahh! (GROANS)
SONG: # Take me back to the
# Sweet times, the hot nights
# Everything is gonna be alright
# In the summertime
# Baby, in the summertime
# That is where I'll be. #
This has been the office for Anthony Carroll for nearly three decades.
Better known as Harries,
he doesn't plan on changing jobs any time soon.
Bondi is just everything to me.
I love Bondi so much.
It gives me so much freedom.
It gives me a lifestyle that I just dream about.
And it gives me joy every day.
It's like solar power.
The sun comes out, the beach lights up
and it just keeps giving that love.
Bondi is my second home.
If you did speak to my family, it probably is my first home.
Today, the beach has some very special visitors
who've come to experience Bondi's 'solar power'
for the very first time.
We've got kids from Ukraine down at the beach today
and it's a dream for them to be down at Bondi.
It's been very difficult for 'em back in their homeland.
Those kids have been through a lot.
And to have 'em down swimming in the ocean
and to see the smiles on their face,
it's an absolute gift.
They just must think they're in heaven.
How was that? Was it fun? Yep.
Did you stand up on the board?
Is it cold? Yeah.
Hey, nice meetin' ya!
You come down any time. You can come for a ride in the buggy with me.
OK. Sounds good?
Yes.
High five? OK.
See ya! 'Bye. See you later.
See you, guys.
When I've seen these Ukrainian kids, it's very heart-warming for me,
'cause I was reflecting on my own family
and what my mother had to go through.
My mother was born in Israel.
And she'd come from a country that was war-torn when she was young.
She didn't want to leave her beautiful country.
But she had to come to Australia to start a new life.
To be able to give back to kids is very important.
And they deserve it. They deserve to have a great time.
Post-COVID, thousands of tourists are flocking back to Bondi.
We love Bondi!
Whoo!
It's one of the busiest summers in years.
But hundreds of swimmers ignore safety warnings.
At the south end,
conditions are becoming hazardous.
Hey, just a reminder, if you're gonna swim here,
you've gotta stay right in close to shore.
Don't swim out
'cause that rip will snatch you and take you straight out to sea.
Jack's focus is on the water.
If you wanna have a proper swim today,
the only place is in between the red-and-yellow flags.
MAN:
What?
Whereabouts, buddy?
It's not in the ocean where Jack is needed most.
It's always concerning when people
come running up to you from the public
because there's a lot of panic on their face.
The report was someone's unconscious a little bit further up the beach.
So I just needed to get there quickly
and figure out what had happened.
Two surf instructors found a man lying face down in the surf
and dragged him to shore.
JACK:
Copy.
He was close to unconscious but still a little bit of life there.
And his eyes rolled to the back of his head,
which is obviously worrying.
He kinda looked like a demon.
WOMAN ON PHONE: Emergency. Police, fire or ambulance?
Ambulance, thank you.
All I know at this stage is this gentleman was having a surf
and that he came off his surfboard
and started sort of shaking or seizing in the water.
And that's when the surf instructors grabbed him
and dragged him back to the beach.
Dazed and confused,
the patient behaves erratically towards the men who saved him.
I'm feeling really bad for the patient at the moment.
He's clearly disorientated, he doesn't understand why we're there
and why he actually needs help.
Veteran lifeguard Azza backs up.
Lifeguards have no idea how long the man was floating in the surf
or how much water he may have inhaled.
The risk of having a second seizure is at its highest
within 15 minutes of having the first seizure,
so we tried to get him into the recovery position
as quickly as possible.
Because he's been face down in the water,
I'm worried that he may have swallowed water
or gotten some into his lungs, which is called secondary drowning.
And if there's water on the lungs, it's taking up valuable space
for the oxygen that needs to go throughout your system.
There you go. There you go. Just rest.
Relax. We'll look after you.
WOMAN:
It's alright. We got him. Can you sit over there?
OSHER: The man's mother arrives on the scene.
She may have critical information.
JACK:
WOMAN:
JACK:
WOMAN:
No drinking? No.
You alright?
The patient's name is Paul.
He and his mother have travelled from the UK
to visit his sister.
JACK:
MAN: Yeah.
WOMAN ON PHONE:
HARRIES: Give me one sec.
Can you just give me a little bit more information about the patient?
JACK:
OSHER: Paul was surfing with his sister's boyfriend
when he may have suffered a seizure.
Copy, Jack. Thank you.
AZZA: We're just gonna move you back a little bit.
Good boy. Good boy. Come on.
Just walk over here. We'll walk away from the shore.
Come on.
With the rising tide, lifeguards move Paul to higher ground.
But he's still resisting help.
MUM: Sit down. Sit down here and relax.
Sit down for us, buddy.
What's his name? Paul.
Paul? Paul, sit down for me, please.
We're just gonna help you out. Paul, just sit down.
We're just helping you out. Sit.
You went unconscious in the water, OK, buddy?
PAUL:
You have, love. Buddy, you're soaking wet.
You have. Sit. Paul, you need to sit down, buddy.
Whatever he's been through,
it's obviously taken a pretty massive toll on him.
He has no idea where he is, where he's been
or that he's had a pretty significant medical episode.
Sit down for us, buddy. We're just gonna help ya, that's it.
You're just gonna get your breath back. You just need to sit down.
You're soaking wet. You've been in the water.
You just got pulled out of the water.
If Paul doesn't comply with lifeguards' instructions,
his condition could rapidly worsen.
Bend your legs. Bend your legs, bend your legs.
You've gotta help us help you, OK, mate?
Mate, you've gotta sit down.
British tourist Paul
was found floating face down in the surf.
Lifeguards suspect he suffered a seizure.
We're just gonna move you back a little bit more.
Good boy. Good boy.
The information we've got is that
he was unconscious in the water for around five seconds.
You just need to sit down. Mate, you've gotta sit down.
If he has water in his lungs,
Paul is at serious risk of secondary drowning.
But he is resisting treatment.
You've gotta help us help you, OK, mate?
You're soaking wet. You've been in the water.
You just got pulled out of the water.
I'm gonna help you sit down, alright?
Sit down for us, buddy.
There you go. Good boy. Alright.
You're alright, buddy. We're just here to help you.
Lifeguards' priority is to administer oxygen.
OK?
But Paul's vital signs are disturbing.
JACK:
Copy, Jack.
His condition is still precarious.
At this stage, he's got quite poor saturation,
which is low oxygen,
and he's very poorly perfused,
which means his blood isn't moving as well as it could.
Based on the readings that I'm getting,
my first guess is water in the lungs.
OK, Paul, we're just gonna roll you on your side again.
It's right now that we need the paramedics here as soon as possible.
(SIREN WAILS)
Here's the ambo now.
Time is quite critical at the moment,
so it's a real relief when I can hear those sirens.
Yeah. Yeah, we'll get the board.
Tests will hopefully reveal why Paul blacked out.
But there is a more immediate concern.
The paramedics are fairly certain
that he's taken in a bit of water in the lungs.
So they've taken him off to hospital
to get that pumped back out.
One, two, three.
All in all, I'd say the patient was quite lucky.
I hope he's doing OK and I hope one day he can come back to Bondi
and have another surf without any drama this time.
HARRIES:
If he was out the back, he would have sunk. Far out. We're so lucky.
So lucky that the surf instructor's down here.
Paul spent a night in hospital
to monitor his lungs.
A brain scan failed to reveal if he had a seizure.
Since returning to the UK,
he's suffered no further medical episodes.
(CHILLED MUSIC)
Patrolling the beach are old mates Maxi and Chappo.
Oh, handsome boy! Oh, handsome!
(BOTH LAUGH)
Maxi now only works as a lifeguard part-time.
Today is a rare treat for Chappo.
I definitely miss Maxi now that he's not full-time,
but he's around a lot - you know, he has time to come down
and put on the blue, and he loves it.
Yeah, just a reminder to the swimmers in front.
Can you please swim between the red-and-yellow flags? Thank you.
From his days as a skinny 16-year-old schoolkid...
It's hectic that I'm working on Bondi Beach.
It's just grouse.
..Maxi has come of age at Bondi.
Max! Hi, Max!
You're our favourite lifeguard!
He's our favourite lifeguard. And he's really cool.
He has performed hundreds of lifesaving rescues
and had plenty of fun along the way.
How does it go, Maxi?
(LAUGHS)
From cooking up a storm at Christmas...
I'll give it another hour.
..to riding a storm.
(LAUGHS)
Ohh!
Maxi's a great guy.
You know, I've kind of been there every step of the way
to see Maxi come through as a trainee, schoolkid,
into one of our best lifeguards on the beach.
It's amazing.
These days, Maxi is a full-time fireman,
runs his own charity and even writes children's books.
Kids are gonna love it. Absolutely.
It's gonna save some lives too.
But he still fits in the odd lifeguard shift when he can.
I'm so fortunate to be given the opportunity to be a lifeguard.
It's been a massive part of my life.
The mateship and the teamwork makes it.
And I love it. It's like home.
Hopefully I've got another 15, 16 years in me.
Maxi and Chappo are stationed at north end.
All of a sudden, someone comes running up
saying that there's a situation unfolding
down the south end of the beach.
MAN:
Alright.
CHAPPO:
You know something's serious when multiple people across the beach
are waving their arms frantically.
Beachgoers have reported two swimmers
swept out in the notorious Backpackers Rip.
As we were driving south, it was quite difficult
to locate where these patients were.
Oh, shit. Out the back.
CHAPPO:
Maxi charges out for the 100m paddle...
..as Chappo does the detective work.
Thanks, matey. What happened?
Yeah, good onya, mate. Thank you.
In this case, the rip was quite far out to sea.
I was going as hard as I could.
It was quite a long paddle.
Am I gonna get there in time?
Is there multiple casualties?
You know, all these things are running through your mind.
There's a lot going on.
CHAPPO:
MAN:
Alright.
MAN:
I initially get out there and I could see two people out the back.
And this surfer's helping out.
Alright, come over here, brother.
The rescue was only half done. We needed to get him back into shore.
These two swimmers were quite distressed
and panicky.
Alright, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
Hop back in. Hop back in.
Come over here, boss.
As Maxi tries to get the panicking patients on board...
Turn around. Turn around.
..he spots an empty surfboard floating on the surface.
Where's the third person?
Where's this other person? Who's on this board?
So, where's the person for that board, though?
Do we have a missing person on our hands here?
It's a very serious situation unfolding
and I need to work out exactly where this person is.
Maxi has paddled 100m to rescue two struggling swimmers...
Alright, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
Yeah, stay there for a sec. So whose board is this?
..but an unattended surfboard has raised alarm.
I saw a board floating with no-one on it or around it.
Where's the person for that board, though?
You need to get reassurance by other people out there,
because they've helped with the situation.
MAN:
Oh, that's her board?
OK. Awesome.
I was quite relieved
to see a person further out holding onto another surfboard.
She kindly donated her board to help with these drowning swimmers.
Turn around. OK, spin around.
We didn't have another missing person on our hands.
You come over here.
Now the primary focus was
to get these two patients on my board
back to shore safely.
But easier said than done.
You move up. Move up.
Move up? Yep.
And you hop on.
Because we were quite far out to sea,
you know, half the challenge was getting them on the board safely.
Hop on top of him. Hop on top of him.
Required a bit of a wrestle.
Alright, come back. Lay down.
They weren't really listening to what I had to say.
They were quite panicky.
Oi.
What are you doing?
Oi! Hey!
There was one point where we fully rolled.
I need to take control of that situation very quickly.
Oi! Hey! Stop.
I'm getting youse in, alright?
No more Mr Nice Guy!
You, hop on the board.
They didn't speak much English, but when I roused on 'em,
they started to learn very quickly.
Alright. Now, you come back, in the white shirt. Come back.
Alright. Lay down.
Alright. OK. We're good.
Just try and keep your balance on the board.
OK.
Rescuing two patients on the one board
requires exceptional strength and balance.
As soon as they listened,
we got 'em on the board nice and quickly and safely
and we made our way back to shore.
Alright.
PATIENT:
Where youse were swimming,
'Dangerous Current' sign.
OK. Not good.
This? OK to protect you from the sun,
but when you swim, very hard.
Doesn't matter how many rescues you do,
it's always a relief to have the patients
back on the shore after a serious rescue
and they're alive and well.
You OK? Yes, sir.
You OK? Alright. Sweet.
See you later.
Board back on the rack.
Back in the bike with Chappo.
What's next?
(RELAXED MUSIC)
Shadows lengthen.
Another busy day at Bondi.
But before Maxi and Chappo can pack up,
the beach has one more challenge in store.
It's the job that keeps on giving.
You know, just when you think you've seen it all,
it keeps delivering.
Yep. Again.
You want us? You want us? (BLEEP)!
(BLEEP)!
There is never a dull moment.
Oh, no.
You could see someone's holding
something that was going down towards his leg.
What's happened?
It looked like it was a personal matter - put it that way.
As lifeguards pack up for the day,
there's something fishy going on at the beach.
It's the job that keeps on giving.
You know, just when you think you've seen it all,
it keeps delivering.
(BLEEP)!
What's going on here? (BLEEP)!
You could see someone holding something
that was going down towards his legs.
It looked like it was a personal matter - put it that way.
Hi, mate.
What's happened?
As we rolled right up to the patient,
we noticed that there was a big fish hook stuck in his calf.
We were quite relieved that it was in a spot
where we could get easy access to - put it that way.
It's alright, buddy.
It's alright. So it's just there.
39-year-old local Felix has been hooked.
FELIX: I just stepped in the water.
It was just in the weeds.
I mean, fishermen need to be more responsible. That's the message.
I'm no expert getting fish hooks out of people's legs,
but, you know, I thought, "We're there. Let's have a crack."
Wiggle it. Wiggle it a bit. Yeah.
Yes. It's alright, brother.
Yeah. Is it painful?
Yep.
It's funny - like, it was only a little hook,
but if you've ever dealt with fish hooks before,
they can be bloody hard to get out.
So the predicament that we're in is that, you know,
it's gonna hurt when you pull it out.
Alright, three, two, one. Go.
Ahh!
(GROANS) No!
Pretty stoked, man. (LAUGHS)
There was quite a crowd building now
watching this first aid unfold.
And I think they were quite hooked
by what was unfolding in front of them.
I kinda...
..cleared the flesh away from the barb.
(GROANS) Oh, sorry, mate.
(LAUGHS) Yeah, it was... it was quite gruesome.
There it is. See the hook?
And then...
..brought the hook out.
Oi!
(ONLOOKERS CHEER AND APPLAUD)
Thank you so much.
There's a bit of hair there, but...
You got it. Yeah.
Thanks, mate. You wanna keep it?
Uh, no. (CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY) (LAUGHS)
Took us a little while, but we finally released.
(ONLOOKERS CHEER)
You know, quick kiss and threw him back in the ocean.
He's gone surfing. See, he's back out there.
Fish hook in the leg - crowd pleaser.
(MAN CHEERS)
OSHER: Next time, a family's agony.
A full-scale emergency after hours.
And Baggis has a nude awakening.
Ooh! Baggis!
(LAUGHS)
I've never seen so many nude people in my life. (LAUGHS)
Captions by Red Bee Media