Yikes: did you see this story on a Paralympian in some Fairfax papers on t'otherside?
Brad Ness is the captain of the Australian wheelchair basketball team. 15 years ago he was a teenage deckhand on a ferry travelling between Rottnest and Perth.
He was standing on a wharf with a rope near his foot. A ferry departed at speed, and the rope zipped through his lower leg.
"We were preparing to leave the pier when the skipper thought he heard me calling 'All clear', but the rope I had was still attached to the quayside," the 33-year-old said. "When the ferry moved out, the rope tightened and sliced off my right foot as neatly as a chef chopping through a carrot."
One leg amputation and some time later and Ness won gold: "led brilliantly by captain Brad Ness", we thrashed Canada in the final.
We have unanswered questions about Brad's accident, though. Which ferry company? On Rotto or the mainland? What happened to the foot? Did the ferry keep on going?
But the overall message is clear: Rottnest is a place for winners.
It's a pretty strong reminder to all us ferry deckies... watch where you put your feet & be aware of the ropes.
ReplyDeleteHe's a true champion but...
some more info on him in this one.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/paralympicsport/2336423/Accident-gives-an-Aussie-farm-boy-a-sporting-life-in-Italy.html