Last week, the 40th staging of the Pier to Pub swim turned the spotlight on the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) and the valuable community service they provide in Lorne. They keep our beaches safe with patrols over summer, they educate our young community starting with the Nippers program and other training programs including the Bronze camps. The Lorne SLSC is easy to spot as they go about their job because of their distinctive uniforms.
Less easily recognised are members of our community just going about their daily activities who, by being on the spot when someone’s life has been at risk in the water, have seized the initiative and made the difference between life and possible death.
There are many examples of community members “making the difference”.
The earliest of these was probably Lilian Beaurepaire. Lilian and her brother Frank were participants in the Olympic Games in the 1920s, Lilian as a diver, Frank as a swimmer. Frank owned the Lorne, Grand Pacific and Cumberland hotels as well as Carinya guest house in Smith St behind what is now the Cumberland. Lilian was renowned for the many swimmers she rescued from the Lorne in the tourist season. It was said she never ate her Sunday mid-day dinner at the guests table, instead it was put under the steamer, because the drowning bell on the tower on the foreshore often chose that inopportune time to ring. It was a common sight to see Lilian, fully dressed “take off” from Carinya and hit the surf in her bathers! During the 1920’s and 30’s Lilian, a powerful swimmer in the surf, became a household word because of the rescues she carried out in the Lorne surf and often in the roughest of seas.
In 2017, Mila Guerrero aged 11, happened to notice two girls ‘sploshing‘ awkwardly nearby. “I thought I’d better go and see if they are alright, just in case. “ She grabbed her surf board and paddled out to investigate. She found two Japanese girls in difficulty. One had her head under water and was not coming back up and the other clearly was having trouble. She was able to use the Japanese she was learning at school to help get them onto her board and then headed for shore where life savers took over. Mila’s quick thinking, skill on her board and saving two lives have earned her community awards from Corangamite and Lorne. When asked how she felt about all the recognition and attention she was receiving shyly she said, “I feel happy and a bit proud.”
In 2018, volunteers from Lorne CFA, who were first on the scene when a 25 year old male had fallen into the water from the end of the Lorne Pier as a result of a medical condition. On arrival, the CFA team, consisting of Lee Hollmer, Neil Hillard and Sam Tipping, found an unconscious male in the water along with two other males. The group had been fishing on the pier when one man fell into the water. The friends had thrown a life ring from the pier into the water, and then entered the water to assist. The CFA members found the two males who had entered the water also required assistance as they were not strong swimmers and began to suffer from hypothermia. Lee Hollmer removed his fire fighting clothing and entered the dark, cold water and with the assistance of two others in wetsuits who also entered the water, they helped the victim’s friends from the water via the ladder on the pier. Lee and the two helpers then determined the best course of action was to use a rope and tow the victim along the pier to the edge of the shore, approximately 100 metres. This “thinking outside the square” decision was to prove critical in saving the life of the victim. This was not an easy task for either the people in the water or on the pier. The difficulty for Lee was in hanging onto the rope, whilst trying to keep the victim’s head above the water in a large swell. Neil Hillard and Sam Tipping had the task of hauling the four people in the water, which included the unconscious victim, at least a hundred metres along the pier to the shore. The brigade members who arrived later, assisted the Ambulance Victoria crew with first aid and resuscitation. The patient was transported to Geelong Hospital in a critical condition. He was discharged four days later, walking from the hospital; an amazing outcome considering the circumstances.
Just recently, a young lady and her boyfriend , both English tourists, were visiting Lorne and went for a walk out to the end of the pier. The young lady placed her bag containing her passport, purse etc down on the edge of the pier. It immediately blew into the water, so she jumped in after it. The only problem was that she couldn’t swim! Lorne local, Wayne Griffiths was marshalling the Park Run at the end of the pier and quickly threw the life buoy to the lady who grabbed hold of it but still had her bag grasped tightly in her other hand. The wind then started to blow her out to sea. Warren Norton, a local professional fisherman, who had just loaded his boat and parked it on the beach heard the commotion and wearing only his undies, sprinted out to the end of the pier and dived in. He swam out to the quickly disappearing young lady and eventually got her safely to the end of the rocks at Point Grey. It was a very brave effort from Warren who probably saved her life. Warren had just returned from pulling in fishing nets and long lines which is hard work, so it was a remarkable effort. When she finally waded ashore her handbag was still tightly grasped in her hand.
There is an “X” factor in all these examples. It is the spontaneous reaction of these people who put the safety of the people they rescued ahead of their personal safety. They were all selfless members of our community and there are many others including members of the Surf Life Saving Club, who, by their actions, make such a difference to the lives of others.
Pete Spring
Committee for Lorne
