Surfers catch bravery award
BRAVERY, compassion and mateship are in-built in two friends who rescued a pair of fishermen after their boat capsized in Marion Bay last year.
Surfer mates Zeb Critchlow and Tyler Hollmer-Cross were enjoying a day on the waves on June 3, 2018, when they heard yelling from a boat which they saw was upside down. Mr Critchlow bolted by jet ski to assist three fishermen who had been thrown into the water alongside their upturned vessel after a breaking wave capsized the boat.
Mr Critchlow took two of the fishermen, Scott Marriott and Marcus Mayne, to another nearby boat.
He and Mr Hollmer-Cross then frantically searched for the third fisherman – Graeme Bowerman – but despite their courageous efforts, including diving under the boat, Mr Bowerman couldn’t be rescued.
He was later spotted in the water by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter but had drowned.
In handing down her coronial findings into Mr Bowerman’s drowning, Olivia McTaggart recommended Mr Critchlow and Mr Hollmer-Cross be considered for bravery awards for their actions that day.
Reflecting on the incident Mr Hollmer-Cross said “diving under that boat in those conditions was the scariest thing I’ve ever done” but said it’s “just what you have to do” under those circumstances.
News Corp Australia, publisher of the Mercury, with the support of Seven News and Australia Post yesterday awarded the pair 2019 Pride of Australia medals for their bravery in assisting at last year’s tragic Marion Bay event.
The pair, who have been surfing together since they were kids, said they felt privileged to be recognised with the award.
“It’s great to get recognition for trying to help people and trying to make a positive contribution to the community,” Mr Critchlow said.
“It’s an honour to be known as a Pride of Australia award recipient. Coming from our education background and our ratbag antics when we were kids, it feels like a great effort to achieve this community recognition.”
In presenting the pair with their award, Mercury editor Chris Jones said “all Tasmanians should be very proud” of them and said their efforts symbolised what the Pride of Australia award represented.