The State Emergency Service's deputy commissioner has died while competing in an endurance mountain bike race on the South Coast.Mount Keira man Greg Slater, 46, was participating in the Eurobodalla Enduro event at Mogo yesterday when he collapsed and died.Mr Slater, who was registered to compete in the 50km event with his son Alex, is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest while riding up a hill in hot conditions about 1pm yesterday.A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said bystanders performed CPR on a patient until paramedics arrived, however he died at the scene.
Pay tribute to Mr Slater by leaving a comment below.The SES today said Mr Slater was "loved by all members of the SES" and was instrumental in the development of the agency in the past 11 years.He is survived by his wife Jenny, daughter Madaline and son Alex.Before he joined the SES, Mr Slater was an Australian Federal Police officer and was posted to East Timor and Cyprus.He also worked for Norfolk Island Police, before moving to the SES headquarters in Wollongong in 2004.Mr Slater enjoyed endurance sports, including road cycling, running and long course triathlon, and competed in the Australian Ironman Triathlon Championships on four occasions.NSW SES Commissioner Murray Kear said the service was devastated with the loss of Mr Slater."Today we're like a small family, feeling it very hard, all around the state,'' he said. "Greg was the epitome of a healthy person ... anything that had physical exercise attached to it, Greg would be in it, so it's just a shock."He said Mr Slater's wife Jenny, also a NSW SES employee, his daughter Madaline and his son Alex, who was cycling in the event with his father when he died, were devastated. ''(They are) trying to come to terms with the loss of a husband and a father,'' he said. Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan said Mr Slater had been recognised for his bravery on numerous occasions in his career."Mr Slater was a recipient of the Australian Federal Police Commendation for Brave Conduct and the United Nations Fire Commander's Commendation for Brave Conduct," he said."Mr Slater’s leadership and dedication to the community of New South Wales and to his country will be sorely missed."On behalf of the New South Wales Government, I extend my sympathies to Mr Slater’s family and colleagues."
