NEWS DESK
Swimmer all at sea on way to concert Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
Like minds: Jules Allen with Genevieve Myer, who has fostered 115 children. Pictures: Yanni
Mental issues ‘affect us all’ GUESTS at the Helping Hands morning tea, Friday, at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, were challenged by speaker Jules Allen to stand if they knew anyone experiencing either depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, job loss, separation, loss of a loved one, or low self-esteem. “Wow, I think I can stop there,” she said, to a hall full of standing people. “Have a good look around, do a circle, look around the room. Where are they? They are right here, they are us and we are them, there is no them and us, there is only us.” Parent Kerri Parkinson said those who attended the talk were “enriched, moved and inspired, with some holding back tears to others being completely captivated”. Ms Allen spoke about the foster care system and her experiences with some of the 30,000
young people in care, with carers becoming few and far between. She singled out local woman Genevieve Myer who has cared for 115 foster babies. Ms Allen gave an insight into her life: from her lowest points and how they played a huge part in whom she is today, and the work she has accomplished. Her theme was that we are all the same. “Absolutely none of us are an exception to life’s rules and chaos,” she said. The comment sits well with the Helping Hands concept, with members aiming to make a difference in their community. The 80 guests helped raise more than $2300 for the community. Businesses or individuals able to donate goods or services can contact Helping Hands through Facebook. Stephen Taylor
A DISORIENTATED swimmer struggling in the water about one and a half kilometres off Frankston beach put up a fight when police arrived to rescue him, Friday 11 November. The 32-year-old Frankston freestyler had other ideas: he was intent on making it to “a concert” in St Kilda – 40km away – and did not take kindly to efforts by Senior Constables Julie Edge and Paul Follett, of Frankston police, to haul him aboard. Earlier, onlookers at Frankston pier raised the alarm when they saw the fully clothed man climb down into the water and swim off into the distance. “Pretty soon he was out of sight and it came across our radio as a possible drowning,” said Senior Constable Edge, who is also a recently elected Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor in Watson ward. With emergency services craft 90 minutes away at Williamstown, too far off to be of any help, the senior constables accepted the generous offer of two local fishermen to ferry them out to the recalcitrant swimmer. A jet skier keen to assist rode ahead to look out for the man and kept in contact with the police using his mobile phone. Senior Constable Edge said she told the jet skier to “keep his distance” when he reported back that the swimmer was refusing offers of assistance. “I didn’t want him getting pulled in too,” she said. When police arrived on scene the man was about two kilometres out and not going well; he also rejected their offer of help. She described him as “argumentative”. “He refused to come aboard; he didn’t want a bar
Rescuer: Senior Constable Julie Edge, above, dragged a reluctant swimmer out of the sea off Frankston pier. Pic: Yanni
of that,” she said. “He said he was swimming to St Kilda and that he was fine, but, by his answers, I could see he clearly was not fine and was certainly not going to make it all that way. “By what he was saying about being “nearly there” [St Kilda] I could tell he was affected by alcohol or drugs and not really with it.” Senior Constable Edge, a former competitive triathlete, said she “gave the man about 15 seconds to think about it and then jumped in and brought him aboard”. Back on shore, the man who claimed he was a former competition swimmer was taken by ambulance to Frankston Hospital with a low core temperature and treated for hypothermia.
Western Port News 22 November 2016
PAGE 3