Rhys Dawson still vividly remembers the dark night in June when a man washed off the rocks at Kiama.
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The man in question is alive today thanks to the actions of Surf Rescue 50 (SR50) boat captain Dawson, fellow Kiama Surf Life Saving Club volunteer Tom Daly and driver Gregg Delahunty,
This bravery has been recognised with a prestigious NSW Rescue of the Month Award. The crew is now in the running to win the SLSNSW Rescue of the Year.
‘’It’s great to receive the recognition especially for the crew, in a way it’s morale boosting,’’ Dawson said.
‘’But the most important thing is we are just glad it was a good outcome in the end.’’
Dawson praised the actions of his driver Delahunty.
‘’It was very dark, there was very little moonlight, which made it very hard for the driver to navigate. Gregg did an excellent job under the circumstances,’’ he said.
Conditions on the night were rough and there was very little light.
‘’In the chop, we saw a flicker of light off in the distance. One of our crew members spotted it. We headed in that direction and we located him, floating face-up in the water,’’ Dawson said.
‘’He was moaning, extremely cold to touch and we laid him straight on the spinal board and started assessing his injuries….At one stage he lost consciousness but once we administered oxygen therapy he came back which was pleasing.’’
