Merewether Man Receives Australian Bravery Award For Daring Shark Attack Rescue

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Merewether man, Billy James Eitz, has been named as one of 29 Australians to receive an Australian Bravery Award, awarded by the Governor General to recognise and celebrate extreme courage. 

Mr Eitz was awarded the Bravery Medal, for his daring rescue of a man following a shark attack at Booti Booti Point in New South Wales on December 1st 2016.

At around 9am Mr Eitz and other surfers were surfing at Bulls Paddock beach when they were surrounded by a pod of dolphins.  One surfer caught a wave into the beach with some of the dolphins following. Without warning another nearby surfer was launched into the air as a large great white shark attacked, also sending the man's surfboard out of the water.  Mr Eitz immediately began paddling towards the surfer who was clinging to broken pieces of his surfboard.   The man had sustained significant injuries to his foot and arm. On reaching the injured man, Mr Eitz managed to wrangle him onto his own surfboard and, not knowing the whereabouts of the shark, entered the water and paddled behind the board pushing it towards the shore. When they reached the shore, Mr Eitz and another surfer quickly administered first aid to the injured surfer and emergency services were called and the man was taken to hospital.

“On behalf of all Australians, I would like to congratulate and thank the individuals being recognised today. Their deeds and selflessness are inspirational,” the Governor-General said.

“The people receiving awards didn’t wake up in the morning and decide that they would be brave – each was faced with an unexpected situation and made a conscious choice, in the moment, to turn towards the danger and help others."

Reluctant Hero, Billy James Eitz
Image Credit: Channel 7

Hunter Heroes receive Bravery Awards

BY GRACE LANCASTER

Two Hunter heroes will today be recognised for their outstanding acts of bravery.

In strong winds and rough seas, Jim Stringfellow and his marine rescue crew spent almost three hours saving a vessel and its passengers off Bird Island in February 2013.

"Visibility was just about zero by the time we got to the vessel and when we started to tow it back in the tow rope was straining it could have broken at any point in time," says Jim. 

"The other thing we have to be careful of when you're towing a vessel like that is if that if the vessel sinks and you don't release the vessel it'll pull you down as well."

Now, five years on and Jim and his team are being commended for their brave conduct.  

"It's a bit of a surprise but yeah we were just doing our jobs basically," he said. 

For Luke Robinson, his willingness to help in the 2016 rescue of a woman and young girl has landed him a bravery award. 

"A guy came running past me on the headland and I was having a picnic with the girlfriend and said that there was a little girl in the water drowning and I was pretty familiar with the beach so that's why I jumped in," he said. 

"We tried to get away from the rocks but the waves pushed us back towards the rocks and I tried to scale the rocks and a guy let me his hand and I grabbed his hand and the waves hit us and dragged us all in and just got pounded with waves and the rescue boat came and picked me and the little girl back to the beach. 

"I feel pretty proud of it yeah." 

Lake Macquarie Police Officers Honoured With Bravery Awards

BY IAN CROUCH

Two Lake Macquarie Police officers are being honoured with bravery awards today.

Senior Constables Wade Fuller and Craig Hansen rescued a father and three children after they were caught in a rip at Caves Beach in September 2016.

The pair commandeered body boards to reach the man and 1 child about 70 metres from shore, while the other two children were rescued 90 metres from the shoreline.

For their actions, Senior Constables Fuller and Hansen have been commended for brave conduct.

Bravery Commendation: Senior Constables Craig Hansen (left) and Wade Fuller. Picture: dailytelegraph.com.au