Rather than head to the Bermagui Surf Life Saving Club as emergency, evacuees, they jumped into action as helpers!

He shared his story with us.

Yesterday I have never been so proud to be a member of Surf Life Saving.

While camping at Bermagui, near the grounds of the Surf Life Saving Club for the George Bass Surf Boat Marathon everything changed.

We woke at 5.15am to the ping of an emergency text informing all persons in the area to evacuate to the Bermagui Surf Life Saving Club. Our club, and several others were already there so we moved from surf boat competitors and campers to emergency evacuation helpers.

Thousands of people moved in to the small town in just a few hours with their families, pets and very few personal belongings.

Surf life saving members manned the first aid centre, continually treating people while others manned computers and note pads trying to account for everyone arriving. Others went off to supermarkets to get supplies to cook for the masses, cooking thousands of sausages and making sandwiches continuously all day.

We had cars bringing pallets of bottled water, toilet paper, dog food, tooth brushes, baby formula and personal hygiene items over to the evacuees and others distributing everything. Our call out teams prepared IRBs and Jet Skis ready for any beach evacuations.

Surf life savers worked tirelessly with other emergency organisations, continuously for hours to make sure all the evacuees were looked after with little thought for their own needs.

I think every surf life saver should be so proud to be a member of this awesome organisation and give themselves a massive pat on the back for stepping up to the plate in such a catastrophic situation.

Well done everyone involved

Chris Briggs, Boat Captain of Pambula SLSC

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