NEWS DESK
Dynamic duo’s quick actions saved life Be seen back in the
swim this summer
Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au
TWO men who helped save the life of a man who collapsed after a sudden heart attack at Carrum train station have received community hero awards from Ambulance Victoria. Peter Langley-Bates, from Patterson Lakes, and Anthony Kennedy, from Frankston, immediately came to Crayton King’s aid on 27 March this year when Mr King suffered a cardiac arrest with no prior warning. Both men took turns performing CPR on Mr King until paramedics arrived. Mr Langley-Bates, a train station attendant at the time, said he called 000 before directing train passengers away from the area where Mr King was receiving help and joining Mr Kennedy to resuscitate the stricken man aged in his 60s. “By the time I got out there Anthony had actually got him on the ground and started CPR … and I was talking to the ambulance lady [on the phone] while Anthony was doing CPR … he took a break and we just tag teamed until the paramedics arrived.” Mr Langley-Bates says anyone can help if they see someone injured or in sudden strife even if they have no medical training. Instructions will be given by calling 000 and it is better
All heart: Paramedic Kane Grose, left, nominated Anthony Kennedy and Peter Langley-Bates for their actions to save the life of Crayton King at Carrum train station.
than doing nothing for fear of doing the wrong thing. “The 000 operator should get credit too. She was relaying the messages about what to do,” he said. Ambulance Victoria Acting CEO Tony Walker said Mr King was conscious and alert when loaded to hospital and has since recovered. “This year we recognise 13 members of the community and a workplace for their actions, which resulted in lives being saved and more positive outcomes for patients,” Mr Walker said. “A medical emergency can occur anywhere and often when we least
expect it. How we react to that emergency can depend on our willingness to step beyond our own fear and place our own comfort and safety at risk to reach out and help another human being in distress. Their actions are clearly heroic.” Since the Awards’ inception, almost 250 community heroes have been chosen from hundreds of paramedic nominations. Mr Walker said that he hoped that others faced with a medical emergency would be inspired to take similar action should they ever find themselves in a medical emergency.
BEACHGOERS and boaters are being warned to take care around water in the summer months ahead. The 2014-15 Drowning Report released last week by the state government highlighted some disturbing trends. Overall the number of drowning deaths fell to 39 compared to 47 in 201314 and 35 men died with alcohol and risky behaviour contributing factors in several deaths. Nine deaths were boating related drownings. Most drownings occurred off coastal areas (49 per cent) compared to inland waterways (31 per cent). Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett said “the loss of a loved one through drowning is a tragedy”. “Thousands of people enjoy Victoria’s waterways every year and we want people to take care and look out for each other this summer,” she said. Four children, aged under four, died from drowning, and there were at least another 20 near drownings. Most of these drownings occurred around the home – in bathtubs, spas and private swimming pools. “Always supervise children around water and make sure home pools are properly fenced. Everyone can play a role in ensuring our kids are safe around
the water,” Ms Garrett said. Summer lifesaving patrols are starting across Frankston beaches again but this does not mean beachgoers can become complacent while swimming offshore. Life Saving Victoria operations manager Greg Scott said people should swim between the red and yellow flags wherever possible. “If our lifesavers can’t see you, they can’t save you” Mr Scott said. “While we encourage people to get outdoors and enjoy our coast, it’s so important that people realise just how dangerous beaches can be – even on those days of ‘perfect’ beach weather.” “Rip currents can occur at all beaches, even in the bays. They are extremely dangerous and difficult to spot.” A man drowned after being swept away off Frankston pier late last month (‘Four rescued, man drowns in rough seas off Oliver’s Hill’, The Times 30/11/15). Life Saving Victoria advises beachgoers to check the weather conditions including tides and swells and be aware of any forecasted changes. Safety signs highlighting local hazards should always be read before entering the water.
Beware the cons or lose your dough Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au WITH Christmas approaching, police are warning shoppers to be vigilant with their spending habits. Detective Sergeant Gary Richards, of Frankston CIU, said scamming and identity theft was more prevalent and the methods used more sophisticated than ever before. The popular payWave card, for transactions under $100, is the most common form of fraudulent theft. “You just need to wave your card over the reader for convenience,” he said. “But the card in the wrong hands can still be used. “One investigation last week concerned a stolen card being used 87 times.” Internet fraud is the second most common form of scamming involving transactions on online sales sites, such as eBay and Gumtree. “Without some sort of buyer protection, like PayPal or similar, the buyer is very vulnerable
and often compromised,” Detective Richards said. “Frankston CIU is investigating numerous types of crime where the property supposedly being sold does not exist. This often includes puppies and concert tickets.” Internet fraud also covers bogus dating sites, where the online dating occurs and the prospective client is lured into forwarding large amounts of cash to foreign banking accounts on the promise of meeting up in Australia. Despite police assurances that they are being conned, gullible victims continue to pay tricksters in the naive belief their “love interest” is genuine. Detective Richards said another commonly used scam was done over the phone. A caller purports to be from the Australian Taxation Office stating the victim owes a substantial sum and, if it is not paid straight away, they will be arrested. “These calls usually target elderly people and recently arrived migrants who have limited English and are unaware of Australian customs and ways,” he said.
Victims, who often have a genuine fear of being arrested, are led over the phone to their bank and made to withdraw money and deposit it into another account or a pre-paid Loadand-Go account. The perpetrators are aware of these accounts and extract the code for the account and withdraw the money. “The rise of identity theft is now linked to these scams and is occurring on a weekly basis,” Detective Richards said. “Identity theft occurs when a person’s identification is stolen or misused to further other crime. “It is not as simple as the theft of a driver’s licence – where a fraudulent licence is made using the stolen details – but it is still a common form of identity theft.” Police say identity theft is more commonly being done over the internet. “Fraudsters are creating bogus companies, ranging from sales to financial lending,” Detective Richards said. “Often the company is real but the web page that the victim has gone to is
bogus. The victim will be directed to a phone contact or, simply, instructed to supply certain information to see if they ‘meet the criteria’. “The victim supplies this information and, quite often, they are unsuccessful – but they have provided electronic copies of their particulars.” Detectives recently investigated a case where a victim had gone online to the site of a bona fide finance company based interstate. She provided personal information and was asked to pay a borrower’s fee, which she did. “Nothing more was heard,” Detective Richards said. “We identified that the finance company’s web page had been compromised. We traced the phone number used by the suspect to open the account, the online application, the post office box the account details were sent to, the phone number used to open the account and several other names used in this process. “All of these people had had their identities stolen and used in this scam. All of them at some stage had been involved in online applications where
they had to provide some identity. The investigation is still ongoing.” Another sophisticated theft involved the redirection of mail from a victim’s address. The offenders used information within the mail to open up an account and, then, electronically transferred funds from the victim’s account to their own. The investigation is ongoing. Detective Richards said merchants and private sales people were being fleeced by offenders offering counterfeit currency. “Some of the notes are of very good quality and can be hard to detect to the untrained eye,” he said. “We suggest policies be put in place by companies to cover this type of fraud, as there has been an influx of $100 notes into the marketplace.” Detective Richards said the “sophistication of the fraudster is ever increasing”. “If you are entering into a contract then get the contract checked by a solicitor,” he said.
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK Frankston Times 7 December 2015
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