WA Governor His Excellency The Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Peter Grygiel, David Elder, and Royal Life Saving WA President Vaughan Davies

Men save life at Blackwall Reach

David Elder and Peter Grygiel have been recognised for their courageous actions in saving a man in distress near Blackwall Reach. For their actions, both men received Royal Life Saving Gold Medallion Bravery Awards. Their decisive response ensured the man’s survival in a situation that could have easily ended in tragedy.

The incident unfolded in November 2023 while Peter, his mum Shelley and stepfather David, were preparing breakfast on their boat, having been moored overnight. They noticed a man acting erratically on the shore, screaming in pain and behaving unusually.

Concerned for his safety, they called the police while continuing to observe the man. Moments later, the man entered the water and began to struggle and sink underwater.

Despite not being able to swim himself, David took immediate action and jumped into their tender to reach the man. When the engine failed, he paddled the tender towards him.

Meanwhile, Peter, who is also not a strong swimmer and was suffering from a shoulder injury at the time, swam out to assist. Together, they managed to keep the man afloat and get him back to shore over the reef.

Once on land, they placed the man in the recovery position as they waited for emergency responders. However, guiding the reponders to the remote location proved incredibly challenging.

“It probably took about half an hour to guide the first responders in because it just it's not an easy space to get to. They couldn't come by water – they could only get within so far in the water,” Peter explained.

“There's about 60 metres from the beach to the edge of the reef, so the rescue boats couldn't get in. Our little tender could just get in scraping across the rock, and to try and get the ground-based ambulance crew in was really difficult because there's no parking. It's a walk trail to get there... it was quite a tricky exercise to coordinate the water police and the ambo crews when they arrived.”

Despite the many difficulties, the man was able to make a full recovery.

In the days following the rescue, David and Peter stayed in contact with the man’s partner, who had been camping at the site, to drop off food and water, offer support and receive updates on his condition. Tragically, the couple was homeless, a stark reminder of the challenges faced by many in the community.

Reflecting on the experience, David and Peter shared their feelings about receiving the Bravery Awards.

 “I'm humbled,” says Peter. “I was initially a little embarrassed and felt we hadn’t done much. But hearing the other stories of bravery put things in perspective.”

“I’m proud to receive this award because it’s not every day one initiates an action that results in saving someone’s life,” David said.

Their story is a powerful testament to the value of some basic first aid knowledge, the importance of acting in the moment, and the profound impact of compassion. David and Peter’s efforts saved a life and left a lasting impression on their community.

If you know someone who has helped to save someone’s life and deserves recognition for their actions, you can nominate them for a Bravery Award at the link below.