2018 Bravery Awards - Harley Carey and Kendall Walter

At this year's Royal Life Saving WA Bravery Awards the first awardees were a pair of courageous Lifeguards from the new Scarborough Beach Pool - Harley Carey and Kendall Walter, who both received a Gold Star Bravery Award.

On a Thursday evening in late June this year a male swimmer was in trouble after completing his swimming session. He had slumped over the lane ropes of the 50m lap pool, short of breath and in considerable discomfort. Lifeguard Harley Carey was first on the scene - recognising the seriousness of the situation he radioed for help from his supervisor, Kendall Walter.

Harley remarks, "In an incident like that you need to think quickly and calmly; having a plan in place was vital. I let the supervisor know what was happening, asking her for backup, then instantly thought what equipment I needed then what to do next to move forward in the situation"

After removing the man from the water Harley assessed him for vital signs of life. The man had stopped breathing and had no pulse. Kendall immediately commenced CPR, while Harley retrieved the pool’s oxygen equipment and defibrillator to assist with the resuscitation efforts.

"It was my first major rescue during my 6 years as a lifeguard. You never want incidents like this to occur but when they do its vital you have the training to enable you to save lives," said Harley.

These lifeguards performed four cycles of CPR and shocked their patient once with the defibrillator in a desperate attempt to bring him back to life. Through their dedicated efforts the man regained a pulse and started breathing on his own before being rushed to hospital by paramedics, where he made a full recovery.

Thanks to the diligence and quick thinking of these Lifeguards the patient avoided any permanent brain injury, with oxygen used to keep his vital organs going throughout the incident. The Paramedics who attended the pool credited Kendall and Harley with saving the man’s life.

Harley adds, "My advice for those finding themselves in an emergency incident is to think about what you need to do quickly and calmly, back yourself and remember your training."

The Royal Life Saving Society WA commend both Kendall and Harley for their lifesaving efforts and congratulate them on their well-deserved award.

If you know someone who's saved a live, why not nominate them for next year's Bravery Awards? Find out more at the link below.