Everyone in the 2508 district will be delighted to know that Stanwell Park CWA president Carol Pugh has made a remarkable recovery following her accident on 23 September 2021. Now home in Stanwell Park, Carol has had so many requests to tell her story that she has decided to put it in writing.
Thursday, 23 September was a beautiful Spring day in the first week of the school holidays. We had been in lock down for months but were allowed to have picnics with 5 people. My daughter had been struggling to work from home and supervise two children’s home schooling and asked if I could have her two boys, Brock 13 and Will 10, while she caught up.
Brock asked if we could go to Thompson’s rocks for our picnic. This is a special place for our family. My husband Robert and I have been going there for over 50 years and all our children and many of our grandchildren have spent time there. It is a short hike through the bush down to a rock platform north of Stanwell Park. The rock platform contains a number of pools, one of which is quite deep and is protected from the open ocean by a high rock wall. We had taken the boys before and talked to them about keeping away from the edge and made them watch as waves came in small then large sets. Although in our early seventies, we have kept quite fit with regular walking, mountain bike riding, bowls for Robert and yoga for me.
I checked the tide and determined that we should leave a little before 11am. That would get us there at mid tide with it dropping to a low at around 3pm. The surf had been a little rough earlier in the week but on that day conditions were relatively calm. We packed sandwiches and drinks and a crepe bandage as we had read of the sighting of a tiger snake. I thought we were well prepared!
About five minutes into the walk Robert asked if I had my phone. I had meant to pack it but left it on the charger! He hadn’t brought his either and was lamenting that we couldn’t take photos. Thinking of snakes, I gave him my pack and ran back home for my phone. I soon caught up with the group and we made our way through the rainforest then the grasses to where a small track takes you down to the rock platform.
Of course, the first thing the boys did was jump in the biggest pool. Occasionally a larger wave would break over the rock wall and trickle slowly into the pool – the boys thought this was extra fun. The water was quite cool so they soon got out and went to explore the other pools and wildlife and I took some photos. Robert went looking for rock oysters for the boys to try.
I noticed that Will, in his curiosity, had strayed close to the edge of the platform and called him back saying, ‘a big wave could come and wash you off’. It was as if my words had conjured it up! A huge wave washed him off the platform and into a channel. I yelled out to the others who were out of sight. I saw Will surface, fortunately closer to the shore but with a cut on his head. Brock arrived at the scene just as another large wave bowled Will over. When it receded he was nowhere to be seen.
A thousand scenarios raced through my mind – he was unconscious, trapped under a ledge or washed out to sea. What was I going to tell his mother? At that point I handed Brock my phone and stepped down into the water. It was only waist deep and I didn’t feel the cold. Robert had arrived and I yelled, ’ Will’s in the water and I can’t find him!.’
Then a huge wave hit me. It threw me up onto a large sloping rock. Robert called out, ‘Will’s out, he’s okay but hold on there’s another wave coming.’ At that point the sheer volume of water lifted me in the air and threw me over the top of the rock head first into a small channel. I hit my head on the way down and could see blood in the water. As the water receded again I was floating face down, I couldn’t lift my head and my right arm while moving wouldn’t do what I wanted it to. My leg was also numb. I managed to roll myself over and shout ‘Help, I’m here!’.
Robert climbed up the rock and looked over. He said the only thing moving was my eyes. He made his way through the water to me and floated me closer to the shore, all the time with waves breaking over us and sustaining some severe bruises and grazes himself. By then I knew I had something seriously wrong with my neck and kept saying, ‘Support my neck it hurts when you let go’. He dragged me (a wet dead-weight) so that we were half in and half out of the water and supported my neck for about an hour – he’s my hero!
Brock did an amazing job calling emergency services. Fortunately, his mum had practised with the boys previously. He was able to relay questions and answers and help guide the rescue services. Of course we had the, ‘Where’s the nearest cross street?’ question but it helped locate us by telling them the last street we had been on – Chellowdene.
It took a while for us to be located but rescue services arrived in full force – Police, Ambulance, Fire and Rescue were all there as well as jet skis from Surf Life Saving. The helicopter rescue service arrived at about the same time. A tiny doctor named Maddie was winched down with her offsider Paul. She established I had a possible spinal injury and all precautions were taken. These people were all truly amazing. It took a few of them to get me out of the water, into the basket and in a position where I could be winched into the helicopter. I was in a sleeping bag and by then quite cold. Even with headphones on the noise of the rotors was very loud. Not the best way to enjoy your first helicopter flight!
I was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where they have a first class spinal unit. I was greeted by the trauma team – it seemed like there were two people for every part of my body; asking questions, calling out information and trying to establish the extent of my injuries (just like on TV). It became clear that I had broken a number of bones in my neck and the situation was very serious. A doctor told me in very blunt terms not to move my head (I was already in a brace) and that I needed an immediate operation or I would become a quadriplegic. I was operated on that night to stabilise the fracture and again 3 days later for a spinal fusion. I had sustained a transverse progressive fractured at C2 and fractures and dislocation of C5 and C6.
I spent 5 days in intensive care (more amazing people) and 7 days on a ward before being transferred to rehab at Lawrence Hargrave Hospital. I am now home and doing rehab 3 times a week. Thanks to the skill and dedication of so many people I will make a full recovery. We really do have a first class health system -it’s there when you need it at no cost!
During my stay in hospital and since my return home I have been overwhelmed by the support from the 2508 community - good wishes, cards, flowers, food, offers of all kinds of help. It has really helped my recovery to know that there are so many people sending their thoughts and prayers my way. I always knew I lived in a special place!
I have so much to be grateful for – that my grandson is okay, that my husband had the strength to support me for all that time, that we have such great rescue services and a first class hospital system as well as a wonderful supportive community.
There are also lessons to be learned. We thought we were well prepared and we certainly have always had a healthy respect for the ocean. This has reinforced for us the unpredictability of the sea and the dangers of our local coastline.
Did I do something foolish or would you have done the same? I am still processing all of this.