We need your help to reach our vital fundraising target. Make a tax-deductible donation to Surf Life Saving and your generosity could help save a life.
Saving lives can be likened to going into battle; surf lifesavers rely upon their training, lifesaving equipment and rescue instinct to respond in an emergency, not knowing exactly what they will be faced with.
“I kept on saying to my mate, I think this is when I’m going to die. I think this is going to be the end of my life here.” Adrian Stirling
Smashed by heavy waves, 17-year-old Adrian Stirling fought for his life, caught on the rocks at the southern headland of One Mile Beach.
And as the growing swell slammed him against the rocks again and again, and the darkness engulfed him as night fell, the terrified teenager believed this was the moment he would die.
Adrian and his five friends were having fun as teenage boys do, jumping off the rocks into the surf at about 6pm that Wednesday evening.
As you will hear from the boys when you watch the terrifying video of the rescue via the link here, their fun suddenly turned into one of the scariest nights of their young lives, as the conditions changed, and the ocean turned treacherous.
His friends managed to escape, but Adrian became trapped, getting thrown over by the waves and smashed into the cave and the rocks below as he desperately tried to scramble up the rocks.
His panicked friends attempted their own unsuccessful rescue with a rope from the car, before alerting emergency services.
And it was then, at about 7.15pm that evening, that off-duty volunteer surf lifesavers, Nathan De Rooy and Reece Dodds, leapt to action, knowing that Adrian’s young life was in perilous danger.
After completing a risk assessment, they launched an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) from Cape Hawke Surf Life Saving Club. Operating under Low Light conditions special operations procedures, they reached Adrian just after 7.30pm.
$2,000
$35,000
$125
Without hesitation, Reece, an experienced aquatic rescue instructor, jumped into the churning ocean, swimming over to Adrian with two rescue tubes.
“When he came, I got pretty emotional. I just felt a lot safer,” said Adrian of his relief when the heroic volunteer surf lifesaver reached him.
Exhausted after struggling against the ocean for over an hour, Adrian had no energy to swim back to the IRB. And with the darkness now setting in, Nathan was forced to leave Reece and the young man in the water and return the IRB to the beach.
Reece stayed with Adrian, keeping him calm and helping him to climb up on a small rock shelf, as they waited for help from the rescue helicopter.
“It was quite scary even for me,” Reece said of the time the two spent in the dark waiting for the helicopter to arrive. “And after about an hour we were both quite fatigued and counting down the minutes until we heard that noise of the chopper.”
It was 9pm by the time the helicopter winched Adrian and Reece to safety. By then, Adrian had been in the water for over three hours.
Had Reece and Nathan not selflessly come to the boy’s need the second they knew he was in danger, Adrian’s life was in perilous danger.
Both the emergency services and helicopter crew agree that without the heroic actions of the two volunteer surf lifesavers, the outcome for Adrian would have been very different – a young life cut tragically short. A family mourning the loss of a loved one.
This is why we need your help. We are a charity, and it is through the support of your generous donations, that our volunteer surf lifesavers like Reece and Nathan are trained, equipped and ready to respond whenever you, I, or our loved ones need their help.
Nathan spoke to us recently about how important donors are the Surf Life Saving movement, and how imperative fundraising is to the heroic work he and his fellow volunteer surf lifesavers do.
“Fundraising is so important so we can afford the training and equipment we need to do our jobs effectively.
“It is so beneficial to the community. Donations can help purchase essential rescue equipment and train our volunteer surf lifesavers, so they are rescue ready. A donation can help a surf club purchase another radio or buy an outboard motor for their IRB if it needs replacing.”
Our Tax Appeal is currently underway, and we have a formidable target of $636,289.00 to reach by 30th June.
We are now entering the final weeks of this Appeal, and this month your online donation will generously be matched by Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) up to $250.
This offer is only available for the first $85,000 donated during our dollar matching period.*
We know that household costs are higher than ever right now, but if you can give a tax-deductible donation this End of Financial Year, we ask that you please consider giving to Surf Life Saving as your charity of choice and double your impact on saving lives and keeping our beaches safer.
It is imperative that we raise these funds to ensure we can continue to train and upskill our heroic volunteer surf lifesavers and provide them with the essential equipment needed to rescue those in desperate need of help.
And whether your donation is large or small, you can be assured it is appreciated by those at the front-line.
As Nathan told us:
“From purchasing a new rescue ski to buying a box of Band-Aids - whatever people can donate, every little bit counts.”
As you can see from some of the examples on this page, rescue equipment is one of the largest costs associated with providing lifesaving services throughout Australia.
To put it into perspective, just one lifesaving patrol can cost up to $80,000. Our fundraising target this Tax Appeal is the equivalent of eight of these vital lifesaving patrols.
For example, an IRB like the one Nathan and Reece used to reach Adrian in, an essential piece of equipment in rescues where split seconds can count, costs $21.5k. A rescue tube such as the one used by Reece to secure Adrian while they waited in the darkness for help, costs $120.
$100
$120
$21,500
Recognisable to every Australian are the iconic red and yellow beach flags. But did you know a pair of these flags, essential to keeping our beaches safer, costs $100?
And then there are the costs associated with training and upskilling our volunteer surf lifesavers. It costs at least $850 to train new volunteer surf lifesavers to Bronze Medallion standard.
But it doesn’t stop there. Volunteer surf lifesavers are extensively trained in First Aid, CPR, and rescue techniques. Importantly, all our volunteer surf lifesavers must continue to refresh and update their skills, so they are ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever we need them most.
And just like Adrian, when the fun with his friends suddenly turned into the scariest night of his young life, you never know when you or your loved ones might need us.
As you can appreciate, all this training and equipment comes at a huge cost, which is why we have such a formidable target of $636,289.00 to reach by June 30th.
This is why we must desperately call on your help.
As a charity, we rely on the support of our generous donors to be our heroes behind the scenes and help support these costs so we can continue to provide vital lifesaving services and essential surf safety education needed to keep our Australian beaches safer.
Please show your support for the Surf Life Saving movement and our heroic volunteer surf lifesavers like Reece and Nathan, by making a tax-deductable donation this End of Financial Year.
Your donation is invaluable in helping ensure our heroes on the beach can continue their lifesaving mission and make our beaches safer for you, your children, your grandchildren, your loved ones, and your community to enjoy.
Remember, as Nathan says, whether your donation is large or small – every single dollar counts when saving precious lives.
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.