Surf hero rescues man at titles | Bundaberg News | Local News in Bundaberg

Len Wood rescued a fellow athlete at the national surf lifesaving titles.

A BUNDABERG masters surf competitor has told how he quit a race to rescue a fellow athlete at the national surf lifesaving titles, where a teenage ironman died yesterday.

Long-time Bundaberg competitor Len Wood has just returned from Kurrawa, on the Gold Coast, where he said the conditions were among the most treacherous he had faced.

Mr Wood was contesting the 60-64 years board race at the Australian Lifesaving Championships when he saw a competitor’s board shoot through the air and land on his head.

He instantly stopped paddling and went to help the man, dragging him to shore, where he was met with a round of applause from spectators.

Mr Wood, 64, rated the rescue as his finest achievement at the championships, even better than the two gold medals he won in other races.

“That’s what you do – always look out for your mates,” he said.

“He looked really groggy, almost unconscious, so he definitely needed help.”

Mr Wood was upset to learn of the death yesterday of 19-year-old Sydney lifesaver Saxon Bird, who is believed to have died after suffering a knock to the head in the ski leg of the under-19 ironman race.

Bird, who was in the same heat as Bundaberg star Riley McGregor, was eventually found after an extensive air and sea search, including scores of fellow competitors. Paramedics performed CPR and took him to hospital, but he was later confirmed dead.

McGregor and his family were too distressed to talk yesterday, but Mr Wood described the news as “absolutely terrible”.

“It puts it in perspective. It can happen at any time, in the blink of an eye,” he said.

“It’s always very rough at Kurrawa, but with the cyclone off the coast it got even crazier.”

Mr Wood said he had to roll off his craft 53 times during the board race – the bruises on his arms are proof of the pummelling he took.

“All I could see was white water. For a second I thought I’d need divine intervention to get out of there,” he said.

A lifeguard at Norville pool, he has racked up more than 700 rescues in his 20 years on duty as a lifeguard, on the Gold Coast and in Bundaberg.

Norville pool manager Norm Jarvis praised his employee.

“He’s a dead-set legend. The kids love him and I feel a lot more at ease when he’s on duty,” Jarvis said.

The championships have been suspended and a decision will be made by this morning on whether they continue.