The outstanding performance of three Blue Mountains police officers involved in two harrowing rescues were recognised at a local Police Officer of the Year Awards ceremony in April.
Hosted by the combined Rotary Clubs of the Blue Mountains, a community award was presented to Senior Constable Pat Dorahy and Senior Constable David Martin for their rescue of thrill seeker Lucky Chance, who later died from injuries sustained following a jump from what is known as the "death swing" at Hanging Rock, near Blackheath in September.
When the officers arrived, they found Mr Chance (who had changed his name by deed poll from Toby Benham) with leg injuries and a head wound from striking the cliff face. His friends had managed to get him to 2m below the main ledge at Hanging Rock, but getting him back on to solid ground would be no easy feat.
“It’s such a confined space out there. There’s not much in the way of anchor points out there,” Snr Const Dorahy said.
“If you took a slip I don’t know if you would stop or fall off the edge.
“We were thinking about how we could get him off the ledge without making his injuries worse.”
Working on a ledge which was only about 30cm wide, they managed to anchor themselves to a dead tree, and lift Mr Chance up onto the cliff. By then he’d taken a turn for the worse and CPR was performed, but Mr Chance died from his injuries. He was a a skilled circus performer, BASE jumper and adventurer.
The professionalism, leadership and commitment of Sergeant Tracy Brickwood was also recognised, in the presentation of the peer award. Sgt Brickwood attempted to save the life of former St Columba’s student Matt Dyer, who slipped and fell about 30 metres at the Hawkesbury Lookout in February last year.
Matt’s friends had climbed down the cliff to get to him, followed by emergency services personnel, but Sgt Brickwood said he was found unconscious and could not be revived with CPR.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, Sgt Brickwood knew Matt, as her daughter had completed the HSC with him and they worked together at a part-time job.
“Your job just clicks in,” Sgt Brickwood said.
“I felt responsible for the boys down there. I had to keep it together for them.”
She said it took a while to “move on” but attending Matt’s funeral had helped with closure.
Sgt Brickwood is still in regular contact with the Dyer family and Matt’s mum Moya attended the awards, which Sgt Brickwood said she really appreciated.
Blue Mountains Local Area Command Superintendent Darryl Jobson thanked the Rotary clubs for hosting the awards and said the “recipients of these awards exemplify some of the great work that’s performed at the command.”
“On behalf of the senior management team I pass on my congratulations to the recipients whose nominations demonstrate their commitment to their community.”
The officers will now be in contention for state Police Officer of the Year Awards announced later in the year.