An Epworth gastroenterologist has shown his lifesaving skills extend beyond the operating theatre after rescuing six people stuck in a rip in Torquay.
Dr Chris Hair treats adult patients with digestive health issues at Epworth Geelong, with conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease to liver diseases. He specialises in gastroenterology.
On Tuesday afternoon, he was checking the surf and noticed a group on surfboards drifting into trouble at the unpatrolled Torquay Surf Beach.
Thinking quickly, he sprang into action.
"There was no one else on the beach, they had gone a long way and a couple of them had dropped their boards and started to swim to shore," Dr Hair explained.
"Given the conditions, there was absolutely no way they were going to be able to swim their way in. I usually have a surfboard or paddle board in the car so I grabbed that, chucked on a wetsuit and went out.
"I had no back-up, which was a shame, but I got out there and it was all good in the end. They – three teens and three adults - were all on a flotation device, so it was more a case of making sure everyone was safe and not panicking.
"The surf was really challenging and the rip was running out to Tasmania like a river so it was a matter of making sure they were guided out of the rip in a diagonal direction and not swimming against it. Two of them were pretty fatigued so I was worried about getting them to safety."
"I think they were pretty pleased to see someone out there who had knowledge about the ocean conditions and just the way it was moving that day," Dr Hair said.
