Witnessing a tragic drowning set Coalcliff resident Professor Rob ' Dr Rip' Brander on a course that has likely saved countless lives.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Professor Brander, an expert in rips and coastal safety, was on a New Zealand beach on a beautiful day, with small waves, when he saw a person die in a rip.
"It hit me that it shouldn't have happened," Professor Brander said.
"If they knew what was happening and what was going on, they wouldn't have drowned."
From that point on, he dedicated much of his live to educating the public about rips - work that has seen him appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) this Australia Day.
"I was so excited and honoured and surprised," he said.
"I was shocked. I didn't expect it, but to find out meant a lot to me."
Raised in Toronto, Canada, Professor Brander fell in love with Australia as a backpacker, hooked from the first wave he caught while bodysurfing at Bondi Beach.
"I couldn't believe people lived here," he said.
He got involved in the science of rip currents while undertaking his PhD at the University of Sydney in 1993 but it was the aforementioned tragedy that steered him into his preventative work.
In 2000, he founded a community presentation called Science of the Surf, through which he delivered education on rip currents and used purple dye in the water to demonstrate rips.
"Helping people was what I wanted to do," Professor Brander said.
He has worked with lifeguards and surf lifesavers, and with the University of NSW - where he works today and remains director of the Beach Safety Research Group - has delivered safety videos online.
He has participated in documentaries and other media appearances, written a book and study guides, and authored dozens of journal articles.
Professor Brander's work has earned him the nickname 'Dr Rip', a moniker coined by fellow scientist (and former Wollongong resident) Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.
He has also collected a swag of other honours for his work, including a Eureka Prize.
Professor Brander acknowledged the many people and organisations who have supported his work.
"I'm so grateful for everyone's help," he said.
Professor Brander was also a lifesaver and remained a life member of the Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club in Sydney's east, but said he had performed many rescues as a regular beachgoer because he was always on the look-out.
He said it was surprising how few people had a good understanding of rip currents.
His goal is to teach people how to spot them.
"All drownings on beaches are potentially avoidable," Professor Brander said.
"The beach should be a place of joy, not tragedy."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.