REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday May 10, 2007

LIFEGUARDS received counselling after a desperate bid to revive one of their own ended tragically.

The 27-year-old professional lifeguard from New Zealand died while training near Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island.

About 2pm, the man was performing the mission and fitness test, which all lifeguards must complete to receive Australian Surf Life Saving accreditation.

It was his last hurdle before becoming a lifeguard in Australia. While doing rescue training, the man came off his board and did not resurface.

Although the incident was initially reported as a drowning it was believed the man may have lost consciousness before he hit the water.

Witnesses told police he ‘fell back’ on the board before it overturned.

The instructor who was on the board with the man found him unconscious and brought him back to the beach, where lifeguards and ambulance officers performed CPR until the RACQ CareFlight helicopter arrived.

The effort to revive the man lasted for an hour.

CareFlight intensive care paramedic Greg Reaburn said the lifeguard’s death was distressing.

”One minute they were all training together and forming a bond as co-workers do,” he said.

”It’s quite bizarre ... they had to stop the training scenario and do it in real life, on their colleague.”

Surf Life Saving Queensland investigated the incident and provided counselling to the man’s friends and colleagues