REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Wednesday, December 22, 2004

IT didn’t sink in straight away, just how close Kirra doctor Joe Black came to not being around for Christmas.

One minute he was wading in the flagged area at Kirra beach for his ritual swim. The next he was scrambling from the water as a suspected 2m blacktip whaler shark cruised just metres away.

Thanks to the teamwork of the three-man crew of the Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter Rescue Service and the on-duty lifeguard, Dr Black was saved and, in his own words, was planning a “live” Christmas.

It was mid-afternoon at Kirra Beach and Dr Black, a general practitioner in his 60s, had walked a short distance from his home for a quick swim.

“I have a heart condition and I need to walk and have a swim as often as work allows,” he said.

“I always swim between the flags as I think we should set an example for the young ones.

“I was standing in water, waist deep, and it was a bit murky with seaweed so I planned to walk out about another 20m where I could see it was nice and clear and have a swim there.

“I was aware of the helicopter above me but they are common along the beach so I didn’t give it much notice, then I realised it had circled me once, then twice and I thought something must be up.”