Drug giant gives $50,000 for rescue
Published: June 6, 2005
A multinational drug company has donated $50,000 to Queensland emergency service organisations for rescuing one of its executives.
Brazilian-based Pfizer executive Ricardo Sirutis, 47, a native of Colombia, was found suffering dehydration and exposure after wandering for 10 days in the sand dunes and dense bushland of Moreton Island, off Brisbane, last month.
More than 500 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers combed the island during the search, along with army personnel, police, rescue helicopters and other emergency services.
Mr Sirutis, who got lost while on a bush walk, was found by a party of SES volunteers and airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for treatment.
Pfizer Australia media affairs manager Craig Regan said the $50,000 donation would be split between organisations including the Counter Disaster and Rescue Services, the SES, Rescue 500, the North Coast Energex Helicopter and Care Flight.
“It was a fairly major commitment on behalf of emergency services over such an extended period of time when some people would have given up on him,” Mr Regan said.
“Ricardo mentioned to us that if it happened back home they probably wouldn’t have got a helicopter out there, such is the bureaucracy they have got to contend with.
“We’ve got a pretty good system of emergency services and volunteers in this country because the ethos of volunteering runs pretty deep here and it doesn’t in a lot of other countries.”
Mr Sirutis was expected to return to his desk in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this week.
Pfizer Australia consumer healthcare director Joseph Saad said Mr Sirutis was alive thanks to the efforts of local emergency services and the Australian Defence Force.
After Mr Sirutis’ rescue, Mr Saad indicated Pfizer would be showing its appreciation to Queensland emergency service volunteers with a cash donation.
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