Blast from the Past ………………… by Don Cummings

History states that Etty Bay S.L.S.C won the State Rescue & Resuscitation (R&R) title at Main Beach, Coolangatta on the 6^th March 1949.

I’ve been asked to recall my memories of the trials and tribulations leading up to, and during this remarkable achievement.

How “sweet” it was for Etty Bay in particular and the Innisfail and district supporters in general.

To understand “why”, it is necessary it to go back to the 1946-1947 season.  North Barrier Branch, for the first time decided to send a team to the State & Australian Championships at Southport.  Etty Bay won the right to contest the R&R.

Big problem!  The branch was “strapped” for cash so it was decided the seven clubs, Arcadia and Picnic Bay (Townsville), Ayr, Cairns, Etty Bay, Forrest Beach (Ingham) and Mission Beach (Tully) would share the cost regardless of representation.

Town support was amazing.  The team left Innisfail by train to a great fanfare of streamers and good wishes from members and supporters.

It proved a disaster for the R&R team in particular.  On the eve of the carnival the venue was shifted to Coolangatta.  Unfortunately, due to an unexplainable transport bungle, the six men plus reel were left stranded at Burleigh.  They eventually “hitched” a ride, but arrived too late to compete.  All the other members swam in their events with some success.

The public couldn’t understand how this could happen.  The other Clubs were incensed and it left a bad taste in the mouth.  It did nothing for the morale of Etty Bay Club, which spent 1947-1948 season as the butt of many jibes and jokes.  One in particular, a hit tune of the time contained the line, “She was the Admiral’s daughter, but her bathing suit never got wet” and this was often requested at carnivals, allegedly as the “Etty Bay theme song”.

Etty Bay lost the North Barrier Branch R & R in 1947-1948.  However, in the 1948-1949 season, Etty Bay was victorious again.  This time, the team very quietly left town, paying their own expenses.  They headed for Kirra where they were billeted in the Club House.

Surf conditions were shocking, with big seas breaking into the Club House and no beach available for practice.  The Etty Bay team had never experienced anything like this.  Even the locals declared it too dangerous, so Etty Bay trained in the calmer waters of the Tweed River. 

On the day of the Carnival, the venue was shifted to Main Beach at Coolangatta again, which this time was nearby.  Conditions were rough but negotiable, with a slight rip from south to north.  The stage was now set for the big event.

Sixty years ago R & R was what Life Saving was all about.  Before rubber ducks, outboard motors, surf boards and the like, the accepted method of rescuing a person in difficulties was to swim out wearing a belt attached by a cord to a reel.  On reaching the patient, the beltman had to calm the person before turning him on his/her back and grasping him/ her securely.  On a signal from the beltman, the linesmen hauled them in and resuscitation was carried out if necessary.

Thus R & R was a set drill designed to simulate such a rescue.  It consisted of six men together with a Reel containing 400 yards of cord line attached to a belt. Each member of the team had a designated job.  This was decided on the day by drawing a numbered marble from a bag held by an examiner. This was carried out after each team had entered the arena, formed up in single file, tallest to shortest behind their reel and belt.  The positions were (1) patient, (2) beltman, (3) reelman, (4) resuscitator and second linesman, (5) first linesman and (6) third linesman.

The ideal draw was for the best swimmer of the team to be the beltman (2), and the second best the patient (1).  The team winning the two “swims” would be heavily favoured to win the event.  This is important if one is to understand why the “re-run” of the event occurred.

Five teams contested the event with Kirra and Burleigh the hot favourites.

The Etty Bay team, tallest to shortest was: Bill Sestero, Eric Lendich, Don Cummings, Morrie Lendich, Bill Rail (captain) and Ron Astorquia.  On the day we drew our best swimmers Ron Astorquia and Bill Sestero as patient and beltman respectively.  We were quite pleased with our initial performance.  Our swimmers coped with the south to north rip with no trouble, coming second to Burleigh in the ”swims” section .  The overall result gave Burleigh first, Kirra second, and Etty Bay third.

Quite some time after the event, it was announced the R & R was to be “re-run”.  When Burleigh was drawing for team positions one marble was missing.  Instead of redrawing (as should have happened), the last man in line(the shortest) had been allotted  the missing number- the critical (2) beltman’s position.  It so happened that the shortest man was one, A. Imrie, the current Belt Champion of Queensland.  No wonder Burleigh won the “swims” – the missing marble had given them a dream draw.

When the Kirra team heard of this, they protested against Burleigh’s win.

In the “Re-run” we drew Morrie Lendich as patient, and his brother Eric as beltman.  Not our ideal draw, but this is where the “bush cunning” came in.  Apparently the rip from south to north had increased in power ten-fold.  Eric noticed that when Morrie swam out to the buoy he was having great difficulty making it.  This convinced Eric that he should make plenty of allowance for the “rip factor” as he had the extra weight of a belt and line.  All the other beltmen had started swimming before Eric entered the water.  He then proceeded to run south along the beach, knee deep in water for so long that the commentator said “Looks like the Etty Bay beltman is heading for Sydney” and then forgot about him being in the race.

In the meantime all the other beltmen had been swept north of their buoys and were having trouble swimming back against the rip. Suddenly, the commentator went wild: “Look at Etty Bay!  He’s absolutely flying!”  Eric had judged it perfectly.  He used the rip to carry him north to his brother at the buoy and ended up winning the belt race.  Two of the other beltmen failed to make their buoy in the allotted time.

The rest is history, as Etty Bay was always confident of their drill skills.  The final result was Etty Bay first, Kirra second, no third place was allocated.  The result was not very well received by our southern cousins and it was obvious that no love was lost between Burleigh and Kirra.

The team arrived home to a flood of congratulations from local communities as well as from the other Branch Clubs.

For reasons unclear to us, the State Centre decided not to send a team to the Australian Championships that year. Etty Bay defended its State Championship at Mooloolabah in 1949-1950 season coming third with only one point separating the first three places.

Incidentally, I’ve checked with the State Centre, and they have no records covering those years. Perhaps Etty Bay should enlighten them.