Every dollar counts, and every donation goes further than you think. It really does make a difference.
An exhausted man caught in a rip at South Australia’s unpatrolled Boomer Beach, struggles to stay afloat in the treacherous conditions and desperately calls for help.
“I knew I had to help him.
“Anyone with the same skills and the training, we (the volunteer surf lifesaving community) all would have done the exact same thing.”
So says humble Mack Morgan, a 16-year-old volunteer surf lifesaver from Brighton Surf Life Saving Club in South Australia who “was in the right place at the right time” and who saved a man’s life in January this year.
Out the back on his boogie board, and keen to get one more wave, Mack heard yelling in the distance.
“I wasn’t sure if he was shouting for help or shouting with his friends. But then I saw his hand in the air. I realised he was in danger, and I needed to do something. I knew that I had to help him.
“It was natural instinct,” the brave teenager said.
After paddling out to the man who had been swept into a rip about 100-150 metres offshore, Mack quickly assessed the situation, helping the fatigued man onto his board.
Calling on his training in the inhospitable conditions, Mack waited for a few minutes to allow his patient, Daniel^, to get his breath back, calming the much larger man down and talking him through how they would get back to the beach. He then slowly began to pull him along using sidestroke to get out of the rip.
Once back to shore, the rescued man gratefully and profusely thanked the teen who saved his life. A life that could have been lost, had the off-duty volunteer surf lifesaver not been there at Boomer Beach that day.
Mack has been a part of the close-knit Brighton Surf Life Saving community since he was four years of age and his older sister joined Nippers. He was always down at the beach wanting to join in, then at the age of six he joined Nippers too, learning surf skills and training hard before completing his Bronze Medallion to proudly become a volunteer surf lifesaver.
But the training does not stop there. Mack, like thousands of other volunteer surf lifesavers around Australia, continues to refresh his Bronze Medallion training every year. This is to ensure he is in the best possible position to save lives no matter the conditions faced, so he can safely bring loved ones home to their families.
He spends hours practicing skills out in the water such as paddling and learning to stay calm in dangerous conditions. He practices board skills and rescues in big waves. Then back on land, he’s practicing medical skills and CPR as well as proudly patrolling for his beloved Brighton Surf Life Saving Club.
In short, Mack, and volunteer surf lifesavers like him, are heroes. Selflessly giving up hours of their own time to ensure they can help others, save lives, and make our communities safer.
And our coastal communities desperately need the help of our generous supporters too. Our donors are our heroes behind the scenes supporting Surf Life Saving Australia in our mission of zero preventable deaths in Australian waters.
It is through donations that we can continue to train and develop our volunteer surf lifesavers like Mack, ensuring they have the confidence and skills to respond when they are needed and return our loved ones safely home.
This summer, the dedication of our volunteer surf lifesavers has seen 5,716 people rescued and returned safely home to their families and loved ones.
But tragically this summer, 55 people have lost their lives in coastal drownings. Most outside the red and yellow flags or at an unpatrolled beach.
A sobering statistic and a number that could have included the man Mack rescued back in January had the teenager not been there that day.
It costs at least $850 to train an individual volunteer surf lifesaver, like Mack, to Bronze Medallion standard, providing them with the skills and knowledge to be able to participate in Surf Life Saving patrol operations.
But this figure does not represent the hours of time these dedicated individuals spend refreshing their knowledge and training to ensure they can react on instinct and respond to emergencies whenever they are needed.
The value of our heroes of the beach, cannot be understated.
Because that $850 is an investment that gives a priceless return when a precious life is saved. When a family’s loved one returns home safely.“Fundraising does play a big part,” says Mack. “We’re volunteers, and fundraising helps our clubs afford new equipment and train new volunteers so we can continue to perform rescues and save lives.
“Fundraising is also important in helping educate the public. Teaching them the risks and helping to pass on the knowledge to not get into the situation in the first place.
“It (education) can definitely save a lot of lives.”
Mack’s message to the public is an important one:
‘Always swim between the red and yellow flags and swim at a patrolled beach. If you’re not comfortable with the conditions, don’t just think ‘oh I’ll be all right’ and go out anyway. There might be a rip there and next thing you’re out the back and in trouble.”
Mack is now proudly helping to train the next generation. His role as a Nipper Group Manager sees him give his time to pass on his knowledge to young children, aiding them to develop their own board and swimming skills out in the surf and gain confidence in the ocean, ensuring we keep our Australian beaches safe for future generations.
A family had their loved one come home that day thanks to the actions of the heroic young Mack.
But Mack doesn’t want praise and accolades, his reward is in knowing he was able to help.
“It’s a good feeling knowing I could rescue him,” says the teenager.
Whether your donation is large or small, every dollar counts towards training our volunteer surf lifesavers and purchasing and maintaining vital equipment to support them.
Every dollar counts towards saving a precious life.
Together, we can work towards zero preventable deaths in Australian waters.
Did you know?
Where does my money go? Can even a small donation help? Your questions answered.
The SLSF was established to support our unique not-for-profit community cause that exists through community donations, fundraising, corporate sponsorships and government grants.
With over 180,000 members and 315 affiliated Surf Life Saving Clubs, SLS represents the largest volunteer movement of its kind in Australia, and the world.
Every year millions of people visit our beaches, and thousands of these visitors find themselves in urgent need of a life saving rescue. This is what we are here for, to keep your family and friends safe in the water.
Your support today will ensure that millions of adults and children who visit the beach go home safely.
Did you know?
- It costs at least $850 to train a new volunteer to Bronze Medallion standard. Surf lifesavers are trained in First Aid, CPR and rescue techniques. Importantly, all of our lifesavers must continue to refresh and update their skills.
- Rescue gear and equipment are some of the largest costs associated with providing lifesaving services throughout Australia. A full life saving patrol can cost up to $80,000.
- Prevention is better than cure, and the best way to save lives at the beach is by teaching people how to stay out of danger. We run campaigns on how to spot rips and what to do if you are caught in one (swim parallel to the shore!).
No matter what area your donation goes towards, you can be sure that it will make a vital contribution to saving lives.
When we raise money for the Surf Life Saving Innovation Fund, this allows us to explore new initiatives, test new programs, and learn what works to accelerate lifesaving practices. Donors who give to our Fund understand that true innovation takes time and resources, that networks and connections are key levers for change, and that dollars invested in strengthening the sector and building capacity among all stakeholders will pay dividends down the road in the form of more effective lifesaving practices, more efficient funding streams, and amplified social impact.
The Surf Life Saving Innovation Fund enables you to target your donations to directly fund a specific project. The SLSF will provide progress updates to show how your donations are making a real difference to Innovation Fund projects.
Could you give regularly?
As well as training new volunteer surf lifesaver, your monthly donation helps repair and replace the equipment that constant exposure to the sun and sea can damage. As a Guardian of the Surf your monthly donation ensures that we are rescue-ready at a moment’s notice. You would be the silent hero behind every life saved.