Police hero put life on line in jetty rescue
Published: July 26, 2006
An Adelaide police officer and two bystanders put their lives on the line to save a young boy and his father who were blown off Port Noarlunga jetty and out to sea.
An hour after finding an elderly lady who was believed dead and getting her medical attention, Constable Marty Clifton, of South Coast police, was called to Port Noarlunga jetty around noon on Sunday.
Shane, 28, of the Northern Territory, and his son Kalemm, had been fishing off the jetty when strong winds pushed the seven-year-old under railings and into the sea.
Shane and another man immediately jumped in to save the youngster and witnesses said the trio had been dragged further from the jetty by strong currents within minutes.
The bystander managed to bring the boy to shore as his father struggled in the water, around 60m away.
“He was slowly but surely sinking . . . He was going downhill fast,” Constable Clifton, 36, said. “We had no other choice, so I stripped down to my jocks and away we went.”
A rope was tied to Constable Clifton who then swam to Shane while local man Chris Kernahan held the end and waded into the icy water.
“He’d been out there about 20 minutes and was looking on his last legs as far as surviving,” Mr Kernahan said.
“Another few minutes, we would have lost him.”
Constable Clifton grabbed Shane and swam him to shore, 500m away from the jetty.
“It’s not just a copper who does it, I think any member of the public would have done the same thing with the appropriate people and resources around them,” Constable Clifton said.
Shane is in intensive care at Flinders Medical Centre. His son was discharged.
Kalemm’s rescuer was taken to Flinders after feeling unwell later. He was in a stable condition yesterday.
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