Nominate your hero for a Pride of Australia award
WHEN you are flailing in cyclonic seas and seconds away from being smashed on jagged rocks, it’s not David Hasselhoff you need — it’s this most humble of lifeguards.
James Cervi was off-duty and enjoying the waves at Tea Tree Bay at Noosa on February 18 when a mission called that only he had the confidence and skills to accomplish.
Stevi Everson had been on a jet ski with her father Charlie while filming her surfer brother Callum, when they were hit by a freak wave. Charlie made it to shore but Ms Everson, 24, was engulfed by the ocean.
Mr Cervi, a Sunshine Coast lifeguard, was aboard a nearby jet ski with a friend. He quickly assessed the unfolding crisis, called the Coast Guard from a radio on the ski and plunged into the turbulent water to aid the stricken swimmer.
Mr Cervi, 26, kept the pair afloat for 20 minutes, drawing on his surf knowledge to find and negotiate a safe exit point among the rocks. After the incident, Ms Everson described herself as “incredibly grateful”.
“Without James’s help, I would have died,” she said.
He is being nominated for a Pride of Australia award, an annual award by News Corp recognising everyday heroes in the community.
Nominations open today and close on October 21. Nominate a hero at prideofaustralia.com.au.