Our cliff rescue hero
By Angus Moore, Year 12, St Augustine’s College
SOMETIMES, simulations and countless practice runs cannot prepare you for the reality of a situation.
St Augustine’s College Year 12 student Mitchell Knight’s experience last weekend is a perfect example.
On what seemed to be a normal Saturday afternoon, Mitchell – a surf lifesaver – had to respond to an elderly couple who had fallen 20 metres down a cliff at a bay south of Mission Beach.
One person had suffered a broken ankle and was unable to move.
Ambulance and fire brigade crews had already arrived, but were unable to access the couple due to the nature of the bay.
Mitchell took the rescue boat five kilometres around to meet the other emergency services stranded by the terrain.
With waves crashing against the rocks Mitchell found an alcove and was able to go up the rocks to the patients.
Mitchell said that they decided that it was best to airlift them out and that he remained composed and in control of the boat while the couple were winched to safety. He then ferried the paramedics back to their vehicles.
By the time the two had been flown out by paramedics, the sun had descended and the cover of moonlight had taken its place.
Overall, the rescue operation took multiple hours and it was well into the night before the Mitchell and his team, the ambulance and fire brigade crews had concluded and left.
This was a great experience for Mitchell, as it shows how, despite training and simulations, real situations can present unknown complications and require quick thinking and an optimistic approach.
“Just to see the relief on their faces was something that I’ll never forget,” he said.
It is safe to say that the St Augustine’s College community and the wider community of Cairns thank surf life savers Mitchell Knight and Mike Stevens, as well as the ambulance and fire brigade services for their involvement in this successful rescue.
It is the little things like this that make the world a better place.