Three years ago, the Saundry family’s annual holiday at Tathra was interrupted by panic as 12-year-old Eliza fell off her stand up paddle board at Mogareeka and was swept through the mouth of the river into the open ocean.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“It was terrifying,” Eliza’s aunt, Kath Sundry said.
“We ran around the point so we could see her, but we had no way to get to her.”
Ms Sundry’s husband drove over to the Tathra Surf Life Saving Club to get help.
The lifeguards deployed their rescue boat and successfully rescued Eliza from the waters of Boulder Bay.
The following year, Ms Sundry returned to Tathra from Melbourne for summer holidays with her daughter, Annie.
Filled with an appreciation of the lifeguards commitment in rescuing her cousin, Annie started a fundraising raffle for the Tathra SLSC.
This year, Annie ran the raffle again, this time raising $250 for the lifeguards.
Ms Sundry helped her daughter put together a hamper that included an inflatable swimming toy, some champagne and other summer treats.
Anniesold tickets at the Tathra Bowls Club for $1 on Thursday, January 11.
“She raised $250 from selling $1 tickets, it’s just fantastic,” Ms Sundry said.
The Sundry family has also run a fundraising bowls game at the club that sends profits to Tathra SLSC for the last 15 years. The games can draw anywhere between 45 to 70 players.
“We add a little extra to the cost of playing to raise money for the lifeguards,” Ms Sundry said.
“But I’m really proud that Annie took the initiative to take this one step further.”
Ms Sundry said Annie had been very shaken by what happened to her cousin Eliza.
“Annie was only nine at the time, so it was really scary for her to watch,” she said.
“But doing this raffle, making something positive come from it, I think this is a healing thing for her.”
The family will return next summer, and Annie intends to run her raffle again. Ms Sundry said it was a good reminder of the importance of lifeguards.
“We’ve swum there 100 times, but this one time we got in trouble,” she said.
“You never think you're going to need them until you really, really need them.”