ANDY MAC: I STARED DOWN BARREL OF DEATH
FORMER world surfing champion Andrew McKinnon – who has been dumped at D-Bah and barrelled in Burleigh – hasn’t faced anything like his latest health scare.
The Gold Coast surfing icon might not have seen his 67th birthday on July 23 if it
TRIPLE-0 OPERATOR:
me exactly what’s happened.”
MEGAN (Andy’s wife):
“He’s gone pale, he’s sweating, his chest has gone tight, he’s finding it hard to breath.”
OPERATOR:
him now?” “Yeah.”
MEGAN:
“Tell
“Are you with
OPERATOR:
“I’m organising help for you now, stay on the line with me and I’ll tell you exactly what to do next.” “Your name?” “Megan.”
“Megan. All right Megan I need you to take a nice deep breath for me. I need you to stay calm so that you can help your
MEGAN: OPERATOR:
wasn’t for quick thinking from his wife Megan when he suffered a major heart attack four days prior.
“I’m feeling pretty good, a lot better than three weeks ago when I tried to climb the (Currumbin) steps,” Mr McKinnon said.
“I came home and had a cup of tea and broke out in a sweat. husband, OK? Reassure him that help is being arranged.” “Andrew the ambulance is on its way.” “Is he still
MEGAN: OPERATOR:
conscious?”
“He’s still conscious, come on stay with me Andrew, stay with me darling. “The ambulance is coming darling.
MEGAN:
“I thought that shouldn’t happen after the steps, but then my wife realised what was happening.
“She made the triple-0 call and that saved my life.”
Mr McKinnon said his cholesterol and weight had dropped from changes in his diet since the incident, and he recommended people listen to their gut feeling
“Stay with me, oh please stay with me.
“You’re not going, you’re not going. You’re staying with me.
“You’re not going, oh sweetie don’t do this to me. I need you.
“I love you too but stay with me please. The ambulance is coming.” when it comes to their health.
“If you’re feeling a little bit off from the belly button upwards, go and see your GP,” he said.
“I thought I was fine, I was doing karate kicks in the loungeroom and half an hour later I was wrestling with my life.
“I’ve never been through anything like that in my life before, I’ve had some big hold-downs and some big wipe-outs, but this was something I had no control over.”
Mr McKinnon, who’ll be out of the water for three months, said the Gold Coast paramedics, Gold Coast University Hospital medical staff and his wife had all saved his life.