JDC 2020 ON-DEMAND Meet the speaker: Dr Richard Harris SC OAM

Australian anaesthetist and cave diver Dr Richard Harris SC OAM gained international notoriety after he played a crucial role in rescuing a junior football team from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. His previous experience combined with his expert medical knowledge, saw him advise, overlook and navigate the treacherous and dangerous conditions to save the lives of twelve young soccer players and their coach. Dr Harris and technical diver, veterinary surgeon and cave explorer Dr Craig Challen SC OAM, were jointly awarded the 2019 for their work in rescuing the boys. Both men were awarded the Star of Courage (SC) and Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) by the Governor-General of Australia. The King of Thailand appointed Dr Harris as a Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn.

Recipient of the 2019 Australian of the Year, Star of Courage and Medal of the Order of Australia awards

Starting out, Dr Harris completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Flinders University in 1988 and completed his anaesthetics training in the UK and New Zealand. His regular day job is as anaesthetist with particular interest in anaesthesia for breast and endocrine surgery, ENT Dr Harris has a professional and voluntary interest in search and acoustic neuroma surgery, upper GI surgery and endoscopy. and rescue operations, establishing the first sump rescue Dr Harris is also an aeromedical consultant and anaesthetist training course in Australasia. On top of fellowships with the for the South Australian Ambulance Service’s medical retrieval Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the service (MedSTAR), as well as working on medical assistance Australian College of Tropical Medicine, he is a member of the teams in natural disasters in the Pacific region and taking part South Pacific Underwater Medical Society, the Undersea and in Australian aid missions to Vanuatu. Hyperbaric Medical Society, the Explorers Club of New York, the Cave Exploration Group of South Australia, the Australian The Thai rescue was really a culmination of Dr Harris’ many Speleological Federation, the Adelaide Zoological Society and years of combining his medical interests with his taste for the Australian Photographic Society. adventure and lifelong interest in the underwater world. His love of underwater exploration has led him to work on National He enjoys gaining new knowledge and skills within his spheres Geographic documentaries, feature films and with various of interest, with recent courses in emergency management teams worldwide in the role of diver, underwater cameraman of severe burns, ultrasound in intensive care, major incident and of course medical support. medical management and incident management courses.

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