Film to honour selfless
Story of girl’s rescue used to inspire others
JOSH Martin will head to work today knowing a film crew is recreating his brother’s tragic death at Fingal – and his only regret is he can’t be there to lend a hand.
“If I could be, I would,” Josh said of the intricately planned shoot for a worldfirst documentary on rip science and survival that will capture the heroic tale of Burleigh’s Ryan Martin, the 30-year-old who drowned a year ago while saving the life of a seven-year-old girl.
“Our family is incredibly devastated but support this project because it’s what Ryan would want. He’d want to save lives and even if it just saves one, it will have been worth it.
“I’m sure it would be hard (to watch the filming) and I don’t know if I’d get through it all, but it’s nothing compared to what Ryan did.”
Ryan was one of half a dozen people who rushed to the aid of a Toowoomba family on Good Friday last year when their young daughter was swept out to sea by a rip on an unpatrolled beach near Fingal headland.
In chaotic scenes lasting up to 30 minutes, his body took a battering as he and others shielded Rihanna Milabo from jagged rocks and 2m waves.
While the girl and his fellow rescuers survived, including one who had to be resuscitated, Ryan’s refusal to leave her side ultimately cost him his life.
Now Kirra filmmaker Jason Markland has received the blessing of the Martin family to recreate the incident for Rip Safety GC, his ambitious grassroots project to produce the world’s first documentary on rip science and survival and distribute it free to every Gold Coast resident, school and library.
“A big reason we’re supportive of the project is it will be used as an educational tool,” Josh said.
“Surf Life Saving’s message is to swim between the flags but more education is clearly needed around spot- ting rips … rip safety is so important for this city and Ryan’s story highlights the consequences if people get into trouble.”
THE HEROES Since approaching him late last year with a view to recreating the day that haunts his family, Markland said Josh had made one thing clear.
“He told me it’s really important viewers know there were so many other people who played a role in saving Rihanna’s life,” he said.
“A lot of people were pulled into the situation because they instinctively wanted to help … even though the event had such a tragic outcome, it was a real show of human spirit.”
That said, Markland is well aware only one person lost his life that day.
“It’s an honour to tell Ryan’s story and for his family to trust me to do the right thing by them and his memory,” he said.
“There was a time during the rescue he could have got back to shore but he stayed.
“He had choices but every time he put someone else before himself. That tells you a lot about his character and I will absolutely capture that in the story.”