THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Page 19 Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] Available early Tuesday at:
http://www.echo.net.au beauty
VOLUME 22 #30 TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2008 22,500 copies every week LIGHT BRAIN AND STAND CLEAR &
Printed on 100% recycled paper health Dumb gets dumber and Eighty tonnes of wood dangerous in wild weather chopping fun at Bruns Story & photo Jann Gilbert The Lifesaver 4 helicopter and got no idea how to get back in.’ While it may have put a bit of a the Surf Club rescue jet ski were Steve and Al would both like to dampener on New Years Eve cel- also called into action on Wednes- see more responsible practices ebrations the wild weather that has day when a 000 caller reported a from board hire operators such as been lashing the north coast has possible sighting of someone in a no-hire policy when conditions caused more than a few headaches trouble off the Cape. Despite an are dangerous, and more water for local lifeguards, marine and hour-long search there was no sign safety and local conditions infor- SES personnel. of anyone in the water and the mation for people hiring boards. A brief glimpse of sunshine on search was called off. ‘Prevention is important,’ says Al. Wednesday brought people fl ock- Steve Leahy, Northern NSW ‘If we can educate people on where ing to Main Beach where, in the Lifeguard Coordinator with Surf to swim or surf then obviously space of 30 minutes, lifeguards Life Saving NSW, says, ‘Most peo- there’s less rescue work involved, were required to help four people ple are smart enough to stay out of which is safer for everyone.’ from the water who were being the water or swim between the Beachgoers who ignore warnings swept down the beach by the fl ags and not go out too far in about the dangerous conditions also strong side-sweeping current. They conditions like this but there’s cause additional and unnecessary also rescued another man who was always a small percentage who stress for lifeguards, not to mention swept from The Pass to Clarkes seem to think they’re invincible.’ putting their own lives and the lives Beach. A young local girl who Senior Lifeguard, Al Mactier, of others at risk. alerted lifeguards to his predica- agrees. ‘Our greatest concern in ‘On one of the worst days over ment spotted the man, a holiday- these conditions is with beginner the past week the Lifeguard at maker who could not swim. The surfers on hire boards or novice Suffolk Park warned a family of man was subsequently rescued bodyboard riders. I’ve seen so two adults and fi ve children that and ambulance offi cers attended. many guys get into the water out the beach was closed due to Apart from suffering exhaustion, the front here and within seconds treacherous conditions,’ says Steve. the man escaped unscathed and they’re on an expressway to The ‘Despite repeated warnings they hopefully wiser. Wreck in a huge swell and they’ve continued on page 2
Chief Log Yard Steward Colin Watson contemplates sorting and stacking 80 tonnes of woodchop logs at Brunswick Heads. Story & photo Eve Jeffery returns to the condition it was in Colin Watson loves the Brunswick before the logs arrived. Last week Heads Woodchop. In 1966 in the four 20 tonne trucks loads of sized event’s fi fth year, Colin started as a poplar logs were delivered to Ban- 16 year old lad helping out in the ner Park in Brunswick Heads in ring, picking up wood chips after preparation for this year’s Fish and the races. He has been involved in Chips Festival, and Colin and his the chop every year since and is a team of six set to work sorting and Life Member, who 15 years ago stacking the logs, a job that takes became Chief Log Yard Steward. about four days. Colin, who lives in Ocean Shores, Each of the 34 races has a spe- started preparing for the chop in cifi c sized log and there are few mid December and will continue spares, so Colin and his crew have until the end of January when, to make sure they get it right when after the event, he will dress the they are processing the load. The area with topsoil, re-seed and feed smallest logs are 250mm and the and water the new grass until it continued on page 2
",).$ INTERIOR
&OR