Eurobodalla Shire Infrastructure Director Warren Sharpe, RMS Southern Region Manager Sam Knight,
Member for Bega Andrew Constance, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Eurobodalla Shire Mayor Liz Innes on Glenella Road. Photo: Supplied.
The New South Wales Premier has again visited the Bega electorate announcing further spending ahead of the March State Election and recognising three teen lifesavers.
Local roads came first with Premier Gladys Berejiklian committing dollars to the long talked about intersection that will connect the South Batemans Bay Link Road, also known as Glenella Road, with the Princes Highway.
Speaking in Batemans Bay this morning (January 8), the Premier allocated $30 million to fill the missing link, acknowledging that the Link Road currently being built by Eurobodalla Shire Council stops a few hundred metres short of the Princes Highway.
“The planning work and the development of the design for the new intersection are already being carried out and construction will begin as fast as possible.”
Member for Bega and NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Andrew Constance says the project will deliver significant travel time improvements for the local community by alleviating congestion in the Batemans Bay CBD.
“By completing the intersection it will also offer an alternative route to the CBD during any work, closure, or events on Beach Road,” Mr Constance says.
“The investment ensures this area receives the necessary infrastructure investment to support the region’s growth.”
In 2014, the NSW Government invested $10 million in the 2.2km South Batemans Bay Link Road (Glenella Road), works are ongoing at the intersection with George Bass Drive.
The Premier last visited the electorate in October 2018 announcing $150 million to build a new hospital in the Eurobodalla and $25 million to clean up the water supply on the Brogo – Bermagui, and Bega – Tathra systems in the Bega Valley.
Lexus Knight 17 years, Angus Knight 15, and Sam Reedy 15 with their commendations presented by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Photo: Supplied
While in Batemans Bay today, Ms Berejiklian and Mr Constance also visited Batemans Bay Surf Club at Malua Bay to salute three young lifesavers who saved two men from the surf on Christmas Day.
Nearing the end of their patrol on December 25, Angus (15 years) and Lexus Knight (17 years) noticed two swimmers in distress outside of the flagged area at Malua Bay.
The brother and sister team immediately swam over to assist the two men, one was panicking while the other was face down in the water.
Lexus attempted to calm the man in distress while Angus managed to roll the unconscious swimmer face up. A nearby surfer helped with a foam board allowing Angus to lift the man’s head out of the water and onto the board.
Sam Reedy (15 years) was next to arrive on a rescue board, the two boys securing the man on the larger board.
When patrol captain and father of Lexus and Angus, Col Knight arrived he told surflivesaving.com.au that the situation was not good.
“He was completely non-responsive but I could see he was breathing, sort of,” Mr Knight said.
“I grabbed the other fellow and put a rescue tube around him and Angus and Lexus swam him back to shore. With the help of Gary Blake, Sam and I managed to float the unconscious man on the board back to the beach.”
Remaining members of the day’s patrol swung into action when the patients arrived on shore.
“We got the non-responsive patient on oxygen straight away and into the recovery position. After a minute or two he was able to say something to us and began vomiting up water freely.”
The three teens at the centre of the dramatic rescue were Nippers at the club before doing their Surf Rescue Certificate and then the Bronze Medallion.
“I’m super proud of them, couldn’t ask for a better outcome. I’m sure without their intervention it could have been a hell of a lot worse. If they hadn’t responded so quickly the patient would have stopped breathing altogether and we would have been looking at a full-scale resuscitation,” Mr Knight told Surf Life Saving NSW.
“In my 11 years on patrol, I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
The patrol members involved all received a full debrief and have all been offered counseling and this morning (January 8) a pat on the back from their local member and NSW Premier.
“I couldn’t be more proud to recognise the skill and bravery of Lexus, Angus, and Sam alongside the Premier Gladys Berejiklian,” Mr Constance says.
“A huge thank you to all our lifesavers and lifeguards for keeping us safe over the Christmas holidays.”
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