TV program to honour Bondi lifesaver
- Author:
- Pam Walker
- Posted:
- Tuesday, 20 January 2009
The ABC’s New Inventors program on August 20 at 8 pm will include a tribute to one of Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club’s foundation members, Lyster Ormsby.
Ormsby, who was the Bondi club’s first captain in the 1907-08 season, will be recognised for his invention of the first surf life saving reel.
His idea of a revolving barrel to house the surf reel came from a cotton reel. The first surf reel was built by noted Paddington coachmaker G H Olding, and the first public demonstration of the reel took place at Bondi Beach on Sunday, March 24, 1907.
The reel, which allowed a lifesaver to wear a belt with a rope attached to reach a distressed swimmer, was so successful it was used for more than 90 years.
Rescue and resuscitation (R & R) competition team events focus around the surf reel and surf belt races remain one of the feature events at surf life saving carnivals.
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Story posted on Tuesday, 20 January 2009, filed under Bondi View. Follow responses via the RSS feed.
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