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Private Notes
As summer starts to heat up most Australians are winding down at work and getting ready to break for the year. For lifeguards it’s the busiest time of the year, as they gear up for holiday crowds, heat waves, and drunken revellers.
The Bondi summer hits overdrive when hordes of reckless teenagers pour onto the beach and into the surf. With so many kids and so few lifeguards it isn’t long before tragedy strikes. 18 year old Stephanie was swimming with friends when she hit her head on a sandbank. She is pulled from the water unconscious, and not breathing. Immediately lifeguards begin resuscitating her.
The dangers of the surf are also experienced by a beginner surfer from England who is washed up the rocks, breaking his ankle in two places. With lifeguards already overstretched, two men make matters worse by pretending to drowning in front of Deano while he is doing a rescue. Police are called to escort them off the beach.
The silly season brings all and sundry to Bondi. When a man in a three-piece wedding suit (complete with tails), is found roaming the sand drinking, smoking, and harassing beachgoers he too finds himself red carded from Bondi until he is sobered up.
If the early stages of summer are anything to go by, lifeguards Whippet, Deano, Hoppo and Box are all in for a busy season. But the boys in blue wouldn’t want it any other way. Bondi is back in all it’s glory, madness, and brilliance!
It's Christmas day on Bondi and road weary travellers, local families, and Christmas orphans come to see Santa make an appearance. Young trainee Maxy also lends a hand by cooking a turkey for his fellow lifeguards. But despite the youngster's best efforts, Box is intent on pranking him with a crafty trick. In the water, a Chinese student is dragged in barely conscious, having been found floating on the bottom. No one knows how long he was underwater, and lifeguards work desperately while the man's girlfriend watches on. This year's Christmas presents are getting a workout in the skate park, but the fun hits a snag when 17-year-old Jack dislocates his shoulder. A dance party in Bondi Pavilion proves popular in the afternoon, but some revellers consume a little too much Christmas spirit. 26-year-old Roy is found in a highly intoxicated state by lifeguards, who must defer to police when Roy is unresponsive to their attention. Just when lifeguards are ready to pack up and go home to their own families, a group of drunken backpackers are spotted in a rip. Head lifeguard Hoppo heads in to stormy seas to recover a drunken Italian barely staying afloat. Celebration, surf, and saving lives it's a very Bondi Christmas.
18 year-old trainee Max is now in his third year, of what was expected to be, a 1-2 year traineeship. Last year he was passed over for a fully fledged position when fellow trainee got the jump on him after one year in the same junior role. Now a new trainee is on the block, and Max now faces a do-or-die season. His rival Jake Nolan, is also one of his best mates - the two of them surf and train together, as well as hang-out after hours.
When Head lifeguard Hoppo gives them the hard and fast facts that there can only be one man left standing at the end of he year, the relationship quickly changes, and the race begins!
Maxy's opening gambit is the rescue of an uncle and daughter from Mauritius. Jake replies with a rescue in the southern corner of the beach.
Meanwhile the rest of the team stay busy dealing with a 3 pronged onslaught; a British tourist with a dislocated shoulder, a Sydney events organiser with a suspected spinal injury, and a flurry of people stung by blue bottles. Then in true Bondi style - lifeguards spot Hugh Grant walking past the lifeguard tower.
Maxy and Jake have little time to take notice, as they demonstrate their skills to senior lifeguards. Their commitment is commendable, but they should keep in mind it's a long season ahead on Bondi Beach.
Once every 4-6 years, a swell hits the Sydney coastline that is so incredibly huge it becomes a part of local folk-lore. On Wednesday the 20th of January, an intense low pressure system between New Zealand and Tasmania dispatched giant waves to Bondi and surrounding beaches. Lifeguards immediately went into action corralling swimmers into the safest areas of the beach, but the intensity of the waves – which reached up to 15 feet in height – eventually forced them to close the beach for the first time in 12 years.
As temperatures reached 33 degrees, swimmers refused to obey lifeguards and swam at their own peril. Many had to be rescued by lifeguards who paddled out on boards. One man, Mohommed, was found lost in the impact zone as huge waves broke on top of him. He profusely thanked lifeguards for saving his life as he was dragged up the beach and put on oxygen. Others were lost under tons of water needing several attempts by lifeguards to get to them into shore.
Nearby, lifeguard Azza Graham was taking the opportunity to ride the massive waves on his surfboard. In a first class display he showed that big waves aren’t all doom and gloom for lifeguards.
Never before has an episode of Bondi Rescue been able to capture the raw force of the ocean quite like this. And in doing so it has revealed the truly incredible skill and bravery of lifeguards, working in the service of others.
Bondi is a party town, and her night of nights is New Year's Eve. 15,000 revellers descend on the beach front for the Shore Thing Concert. At 5am the following morning lifeguards arrive to deal with the drunk, drug-affected, and disoriented, intent on going for a swim. There are 2 thousand people on the beach and not a towel in sight. The lack of swimming attire is of little concern to many who strip naked and welcome in the new year with a bit of skinny dipping.
Mid-morning an emergency call comes in that a boat is taking water at the base of cliffs north of Bondi. Rushing there on the jetski Mouse and Ben arrive to find 23 year old Anthony in a hand built boat he bought on Ebay for two dollars and fifty-five cents. New Year's Eve was his maiden voyage - watching fire works in the harbour, but things went wrong when he decided to head for open water. Partygoers continue to swim as Deano does his best to persuade them to stay on dry land. Next a call comes in alerting lifeguards to a boy with a broken leg in the skate bowl. The steep sides of the bowl are more than ambulance officers are prepared to deal with, so lifeguards are left to move the clearly distressed 15 year old patient up to flat ground.
As the end of the day comes to a close, a rescue of a different kind gets underway. A car is bogged behind the surf club, so Harries enlists the lifeguard buggies to pull it out of the mud, with the support of an unlikely team of helpers. Bondi ushers in the new year with the weird and wonderful, plus a few traps for unsuspecting visitors.
There are as many reasons for going to the beach as their are beachgoers. At Bondi some chase big waves, while other just want to relax, find romance, or get a tan. The reality is not every Bondi wish comes true. Many beachgoers bite off more than they can chew, ending up sunburned, dumped by waves, and/or caught in rips.
One 16 year old is about to discover whether or not she has bitten off more than she can chew when she arrives at Bondi for a two week lifeguard exchange program. Temika Wright is an eager young trainee from Coffs Harbour hoping to learn how it's done on the world's busiest beach. Her first day is typical of a Saturday at Bondi when the tower is overrun by blue bottle victims. All are Chinese, most under 14, and only one of them can speak English.
Temika's baptism of continues when a girl is found in a highly distressed state, having hit her head diving under a wave. The girl, visiting the beach with friends from the Blue Mountains, is only one year older than Temika. In a lot of pain, fearing she may have damaged her spine, the girl receives comforting assistance from the Coffs Harbour rookie.
Another accident in the surf involves a man with a major cut to his head from a surfboard. When lifeguard Brad moves his hand to inspect the cut, blood rapidly spurts out. Temika is taking on everything from first aids to dealing with ambulances, so the lifeguards up the ante by putting her through resuscitation drills and rescue techniques. Slight of frame but big of heart, she does her best to hold her own with the much larger boys, including Bondi trainee Maxy. Much more confident and experienced, Maxy offers to show Temika the ropes. But Maxy is soon to find the shoe on the other foot. Next week he'll be dispatched to Temika's home town to see how lifeguarding is done on the North Coast.
Australia Day brings all shapes, sizes, colours and creeds to Bondi’s shores. But while it’s a party for most, celebrations turn sour for others. Alcohol fuelled fights break out and large numbers of police arrive to quell the agro and eject trouble makers.
Kids use the hot weather and public holiday to full advantage, taking their chances in the pumping surf. The rocks are both dangerous and alluring, until one boy is picked up on the jetski with a major head cut and badly broken nose. And, it’s not only the teenagers coming unstuck - 76 year old Bob was on his way to a date in town when he tripped and fell, badly grazing his face. His rendezvous will have to be postponed until after a visit to the casualty ward.
At the end of the long day lifeguards pack-up satisfied in the knowledge all swimmers have been accounted for, but an emergency call comes in right at 7pm that 2 girls are being swept out behind the reef at South Bondi. Bacon races to their aid, but is unable to complete the rescue before being swept over the sharp reef. Losing his board he holds on to the girls hoping for back-up to arrive in time.
Just 16 years of age, Coffs Harbour trainee-lifeguard Temika Wright continues her exchange program at Bondi. Deano sees an opportunity to test the youngster’s skills when he sends her out for a boy and girl caught in a rip at North Bondi. Quick to get there on the rescue board, the trainee is unsure of what to do next, and makes a decision that could have tragic consequences.
Lifeguards know they must take Temika into the fold and decide to include her in routine fitness training. But she’s unsure of what to do when invited to compete in the annual Lifeguard Iron Man Race. It’s the pinnacle event for an all-male squad. The temporary rookie isn’t relishing the opportunity to compete, especially when the surf is forecast to reach over 3 metres.
The race starts with a run between Bondi and Tamarama beaches, then a swim around a very dangerous cliff face to Bronte Beach, followed by a board paddle back to Bondi. All is going to plan in the handicap event until the relentless surf at Bronte brings the board paddle to a virtual standstill. Whoever breaks through will likely win, but for now most lifeguards are just struggling to survive. The threat of injury is constant, but becomes a dramatic reality when lifeguard Ben Sutherland crawls ashore barely conscious. Struck in the head by a competitors board he is unable to see in one eye and fears his jaw is broken. An ambulance is called and lifeguards attend to with one of their own for the first time.
It’s the most difficult and intense Iron man race in lifeguard memory
At the beach, stripped down to our cossies, no one can tell a brickie from a banker or a musician from an accountant. But anonymity doesn’t work for everyone at Bondi. Hollywood Heart throb Zac Efron arrives to a frenzy of teenage girls intent on watching him go surfing. The crowd end any possibility of a relaxing surf, and Whippet gets Efron into the getaway car/lifeguard rhino as hundreds of screaming fans surround them.
Of course, you don’t have to be a star to grace Bondi’s stage. With the temperature heating up, lifeguards find themselves dealing with a diverse range of characters, including some hot headed trouble makers. The CCTV camera reveals a man being attacked by a mob, and lifeguards call police.
Last year at Bondi surfer Glenn Orgias lost his arm in a shark attack. He returns to Bondi to tell lifeguard of his experience. His attack, the first in 80 years highlights the real threat of sharks, so when a 2 metre shark is identified amongst swimmers at neighbouring Tamarama Beach lifeguards respond quickly on the jetski. Then at Bondi they spot a large dark shape swimming quickly through the crowded waves.
It’s the hottest day of the year, and it seems everyone has headed to the beach. It isn’t long before the heat casualties start rolling in and lifeguards are inundated with patients. In the mix, an Italian backpacker dislocates his elbow. Yatesy speaks Spanish, a language that shares many words with Italian. Despite Yatesy’s valiant efforts, Alex proves a prickly customer.
Lifeguards are called to a teenage boy in the change rooms, who has collapsed from a drug overdose. Just 14 he has taken speed and marijuana.
Lifeguards deal with all manner of first aids, but a toe injury sustained by a Scottish backpacker playing soccer, has the boys rattled. Crushed, the bone of his toe has been forced back through the side of his foot.
As the air temps tips 40 degrees Celsius, the water is the most popular place to be. But nite everyone us swimming between the flags. Reidy rescues a Korean man screaming for help from the back of a rip. Onshore he declares Reidy his saviour as being like “Jesus”. Reidy can only laugh, but feels weird when the Korean student gives him a very wet man-hug.
The most uncomfortable moment of the day comes when a leech is found, bloody on the floor of the tower. It’s fallen off a lifeguard, but no-one knows who. A quick strip reveals just who the victim is.
The world’s best surfers, including 9 time world champion Kelly Slater and current world champion Mick Fanning, descend on Bondi for the Boost Mobile Surf Sho. The aerial surfing contest is the first professional event staged at Bondi in 20 years. Lifeguard, and former world number 6 pro-surfer Rod Kerr, is ecstatic about reliving former glory when he surfs with old sparring partner Slater in the celebrity event. But foul play is afoot and Kerrbox finds his comeback sabotaged.
Lifeguards on Jet-skis are kept busy doing water safety for the event, as well as managing the massive crowds. On top of rescues, they’re soon dealing with a seizure, a dislocated knee, and a woman slashing herself with a blade. All lifeguard hands are on deck to make sure everyone goes home safely, and in Kerrbox’s case, still smiling.
Occasionally Bondi reveals all it’s vibrant and varied colours at once. Two teenagers wake up at the beach to find their money and phones missing, leaving Deano to nut out a plan to get them home. The Bowlarama skate competition comes to Bondi, and lifeguards are called to attend veteran skater Sergie Ventura, who is knocked unconscious and bleeding at the base of the bowl. Soon after word come into the tower a man is naked on the beach and pushing children over. Sometimes lifeguards do much more than rescues. At Bondi, it’s virtually expected to be that way!
Early morning, and a man reports to lifeguards that his friend has not been seen since going for a midnight-swim. Fearing the worst, a major search is launched for the missing man.
The end of season offers no reprieve, as lifeguards rush to a novice surfer who has severely dislocated his ankle in the shore break.
Bondi's next victim is a man rescued from a flash rip. Brought to the beach, Chinese student Leo appears out of danger, but then takes a serious turn for the worse.
Rival trainees Maxi and Jake reach crunch time as Hoppo reveals their future.
And after a long hot summer, lifeguards reflect on the season that was, working at Australia's busiest beach.
