Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The surf lifesaving season has just begun. I did my first patrol a couple of weeks ago, and it's this time of year that people are really reminded, when heading out to the beach, to swim between the flags and to always listen for instructions from lifeguards on patrol. Today I'd like to share with you one example of how important this message is and to praise an outstanding young person from my community on the Central Coast who was recently recognised for the Rescue of the Month by Surf Life Saving New South Wales and nominated for a Pride of Australia Award. Max Taylor is a 12-year-old school student who was a nipper at Wamberal Surf Life Saving Club and has grown up riding the waves at his local beach. In March this year, as Max waited for his dad, James Taylor, to pick him up from a surf at Wamberal Beach after school he heard some distressed cries for help coming from where he'd just been surfing. With the lifeguards having finished their patrol for the day, the then 11-year-old boy raced back to the surf and navigated through the strong current to a swimmer struggling in the rip. Max was able to use the skills he'd learnt as a nipper and as a member of the Wamberal Express Boardriders club to negotiate his way to the first-time swimmer, who, by the time Max reached him, was 150 metres from the beach and pretty badly fatigued. Max safely brought the swimmer back to shore to well-deserved applause from onlookers. I'd like to congratulate young Max on his bravery and for his maturity in the way he handled this challenging situation. We're enormously proud of you.