Sir Bob Jones
Most folk will have read of the recent shark attack in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay. The victim, a 29 year old woman, dragged herself out of the water while shouting for help. A number of people, rushed to her assistance.
As her bitten right lower leg was bleeding profusely, one of her rescuers, a neighbour named Fiona, tied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding, pending the arrival of the ambulance.
For this rather elementary action the Deputy State Premier Prue Car (correct spelling) was moved to publicly describe Fiona as “a legend” while the State Health Minister Ryan Park chimed in, describing her basic tourniquet response as a “life-saving miracle”. One of the group who assisted also piped up describing Fiona’s elementary tourniquet tying action as “heroic”.
Had Fiona dived into the drink unarmed and fought the shark in a battle to the death, only then would these ludicrously hyperbolic descriptions have been appropriate.
That very day you can be assured that across Australia, hundreds of people copped blood flowing injuries through diverse accidents, and pending the ambulance arriving, were similarly assisted by bystanders.
The fact of the matter, putting aside politicians relentless attention seeking, is the real story was the presence of a shark in the shallows of Elizabeth Bay.
For nigh on quarter of a century I had a wind surfer at a boat hire outfit in the Bay. In return for allowing them to hire it out, they looked after it for me, putting it away at days end after I’d used it.
Sharks were never a concern as everyone knew their route, namely in the deep passage on the north side of the harbour on their way to their Paramatta breeding ground. My only worry were the two flying boats coming and going across my path in the Bay.
It would be amusing to bail up The Health Minister Park, the Deputy State Premiere Car and the “miracle” bystander on a TV program and ask them to explain what was legendary, heroic and miraculous about tying a tourniquet.
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