REMEMBER WHEN

Tuesday September 23, 2008

A MELBOURNE tourist was praised for trying to save the life of a 56-year-old man who drowned in Tallebudgera Creek.

In a tragic start to the spring school holidays, Fausto Santagiuliana, of Burleigh Heads, was dead when Gwen Laird hauled him to the northern bank of the creek about 10am.

Mr Santagiuliana, who was believed to have recently had heart problems, had been spending the morning with his niece and nephews at the popular but unpatrolled swimming spot. Coincidentally, just 200m away but out of sight, some of Australia’s greatest lifesavers were leading a Nippers training camp.

Ms Laird pulled the man from the water after seeing him floating face down.

‘‘I was building sandcastles with my son when I saw this man with three children,’’ she said. ‘‘He went into the water to retrieve the children’s bodyboard because the wind and blown it in.

‘‘He was swimming across the creek trying to get a hold of the board when I saw him go face down into the water. I ran into the water and pulled him to the sand bank.’’

Ms Laird said she called for help and started CPR.

‘‘He wasn’t responding. I think he must have had a lot of water in his lungs,” she said.

‘I just wish I could have done more.’’

Mr Santagiuliana was the brother of former Redland Shire Council mayor Eddie Santagiuliana who died after a heart attack in 2001.

Mr Santagiuliana’s brother George said he was a family man. ‘‘Family meant a lot to Fausto,’’ he said.