Surf life saving patrol season starts as Surfers Paradise club celebrates oldest member

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A surf lifesaving club at one of Australia’s busiest beaches is making its 100th anniversary coinciding with the start of volunteer season. One man joining the Surfers Paradise party also happens to be one of the country’s oldest surf lifesaver.

Transcript

00:00At 17, Brisbane swimmer Claude Jeanneret was recruited to help fill the gaps World War

00:07II had left in the surf life-saving ranks on the Gold Coast.

00:11Now 94, he's still found at the Surfers Paradise Club most weekends.

00:15This year, it's celebrating 100 years of saving lives.

00:19It's nearly as old as Surfers Paradise itself.

00:22Mr Jeanneret hitchhiked an hour every weekend, using the well-known club blazer to his advantage.

00:29Still got the blazer at home and it's in mint condition.

00:33With tales of shark attacks and rescues, his claim to fame was helping to bring mouth-to-mouth

00:38resuscitation into rescues in the 60s.

00:41One of the next to carry the club mantle is 21-year-old Lucy Derbyshire, backing up a

00:46third place in the World Championships this week to join hundreds of volunteers.

00:50We had our first competition and then I think patrol season actually starts this weekend

00:55So we'll be back volunteering for the rest of the summer, which is awesome.

00:59Last year, 84 people drowned on Australia's beaches.

01:03Of those, eight were in Queensland, according to a new report, which is down on average

01:08in the last 10 years.

01:10But Surf Life Saving says any life lost is one too many.

01:14All of those were outside the flags.

01:15The message is clear.

01:17They think that, hey, we'll be right, or she'll be right.

01:20Unfortunately, she won't be right.

01:21The connections made while saving lives have endured.

01:24In life, you have acquaintances, friends and mates, and everybody I know in Surf Life Saving

01:33is a mate.

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