Local State Emergency Service (SES) volunteer Andrew Hutton has earned qualifications for swift water rescue after enduring a gruelling two-day training course at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium. The stadium is where the kayaking events were held during the Sydney Olympics.
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Mr Hutton can now claim the title ‘swift water rescue technician Level 3’ after a course that he described as, “very physically demanding”. The two days involved repeatedly being swept down the obstacle-filled course, as well as the tricky task of rescuing victims from partly-submerged vehicles.
Despite his enhanced skill level, Mr Hutton said he always hopes he doesn’t have to apply what he learned, although he was called upon to rescue an older man at Rangers Valley in February this year who had been clinging to a tree in the flooded Severn River for eight hours. The rescue also involved the SES crew from Bingara and paramedics from Tamworth.
Mr Hutton stressed the importance of always staying clear of flood waters.
“I see kids playing in the park creek when it’s flooded. It’s just a recipe for disaster,” he said.
He said he was always astonished also by drivers attempting to cross the causeway on Grafton St when water levels are up.
“In modern cars with electric windows, once the electrics are flooded you can’t get the windows opened,” he warned.
“Don’t enter flood waters.”
