Corey Oliver, 33, Tamarama, NSW
Powerless to resist the wave as it held me down, I was filled with dread. I'm going to drown, I thought. At 19, I was a competitive bodyboarder but when the surf caught me off guard at Tamarama Beach, NSW, I knew I was in trouble. Finally, I managed to break free and surface, gasping for air. I headed for the shore, deciding to call it quits for the day. The incident got me thinking. If that could happen to me, what must it be like for inexperienced people? Another time I was surfing in Hawaii when a wave broke over my back and I couldn't feel my lower body. The lifeguards, seeing I was having difficulties, came and pulled me in. A few years later, at age 21, I was working as a hotel porter in Sydney and spending every spare moment on the beach at Tamarama. I came to know the lifeguards well. 'Why don't you think about getting a job down here?' the guys asked me. It was a great idea. I loved the ocean, so it was a dream working environment for me. And recalling my own near-drowning experiences, I knew the importance of lifeguards. I applied for a position and was thrilled to be accepted. After rigorous training in all aspects of surf rescue, I started patrolling the beaches from Clovelly to Bondi. These beaches were busy and filled with tourists. It was common to start work early in the morning and find naked travellers frolicking on the beach. 'There are some more white humpbacks out there,' we would joke. I lost count of the times I had to swim out on the rescue board to save tourists, but there were also a lot of rescues of fishermen who'd been washed off rocks. Rescues involving scuba divers were tricky, as they were weighed down by their diving tanks. There were lighter moments as well, including when I got to teach the Duchess of York's daughter, Princess Eugenie, how to surf. I hope she doesn't get hurt, I thought. Fortunately she was a lot better than I thought she'd be and we had a ball together. 'Thanks so much for teaching us,' she smiled afterwards. There was never a dull moment, except maybe when it rained. We dealt with shark scares, resuscitations, lost children and thieves. I'd been a lifeguard for about eight years when Channel 10 approached us to film the series Bondi Rescue. At first it was nerve racking being in front of the cameras. But we soon got used to it and almost forgot they were there. Gradually we started to gel with the production team. They understood that we were there to do a job and the job came first. They just had to figure out ways of keeping up with us! After the filming of the first series was over the guys would get together for a beer and watch the show. As the show got more popular, families would come up to us on weekends and school holidays. 'Can we have a photo with you?' they'd say. The show's now in its fourth season and we're stoked with the positive reaction. In previous years it had been hard to get our message across. Now people are more willing to follow our directions because they know we're there to protect them. We take our work very seriously. Crowds at Bondi can exceed a staggering 2.5 million people a year, and each summer we perform about 2500 rescues. Often people are freaking out as we get them to shore. Having been there myself, I completely understand. I know only too well how scary it can be getting in trouble in the ocean. Do you watch Bondi Rescue? Have you meet one of the lifesavers? We'd love to hear about it so please leave a comment below. |
