Tourists caught in rip saved by clubbie, 88
THERE aren’t many 88year-olds who would drop everything to risk their lives and charge into the surf to rescue strangers caught in a rip.
But Bruce Stewart did just that when he rushed into the water at Broadbeach to save two tourists.
He could have drowned when one of the women panicked and dragged him under, but he survived – with some help – earning a nomination for Surf Life Saving Australia’s rescue of the month award from Kurrawa SLSC.
The lifelong clubbie joined Brunswick Heads SLSC in 1947.
He is a life member there and a long-term member at Kurrawa.
Mr Stewart said he was on a beach walk on February 11 when he spotted two women caught in a deadly rip right in front of a “no swimming” sign hundreds of metres from a patrolled area.
He raced into the water without hesitation.
“A rip had formed between two sand banks and the pair were being sucked out into the water,” he said.
“I saw a couple (on the beach) and asked them to raise their arms to get the lifeguard’s attention.”
Mr Stewart swam out and rescued the first woman without incident and went back into the surf to rescue the second, who by then was about 120m offshore.
That was when long-serving Kurrawa member Robert McIntosh, 68, saw the drama unfolding and, realising Mr Stewart needed help, joined the rescue.
It was just as well. The pair were able to keep the woman afloat but she was said to be panicking and grabbing on to Mr Stewart, dragging him underwater.
Then Gold Coast City lifeguard Wes Kelly paddled to their aid.
“One of the lifeguards had spotted us and came up with his board and we were able to grab on to it and work our way parallel across the beach until we were out of the rip,” Mr Stewart said.
News of the rescue did not come out until Mr Stewart told Kurrawa SLSC lifesaving operations officer Rob Pollock he had “a close one” with the incident.
“If I was his son or daughter I would have said ‘you silly old bugger’,” said Mr Pollock, who nominated Mr Stewart for the national lifesaving award. “It’s a big call to go out in those conditions. My dad’s 89 now and he would never have gone out in the water.
“Bruce is a true gentleman. He rocks up to the club to clean down the weekend’s patrol equipment every Monday, rain, hail or shine.
“I guess his basic human instinct was to go help them regardless.”
IF I WAS HIS SON OR DAUGHTER I WOULD HAVE SAID ‘YOU SILLY OLD BUGGER’
ROB POLLOCK