Saskia becomes a hero after dramatic beach rescue
Not all heroes wear capes. Mona Vale’s Saskia Rundle Trowbridge is often seen on the beach in her Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) patrol gear. The 16-year-old became a national hero after assisting in a daring rescue in January at the Warriewood blowhole, her patrol beach.
On 21 January, she was only five minutes into her shift when she had to jump into an inflatable rescue boat and help three teens in difficulty at the Warriewood blowhole. One of them had a suspected concussion and needed assistance to get back to the beach.
“Unfortunately, it was too rough, and the waves were too big to go over and pick them up in the boat,” Saskia recalls. “So in the end, I had to jump out (of the boat) and swim over to the cave with a rescue tube and life vest,” she tells Peninsula Living Pittwater.
The operation was a success, with Saskia escorting the teen with suspected concussion to the rescue boat. Thankfully the other two boys were able to swim out to safety.
Saskia started Nippers at Warriewood SLSC when she was just three. So while being scared was part of the equation, her training and the Warriewood team in the water and on shore made her feel secure.
“There were times when I was a bit frightened, but I never felt unsafe because (the team) had my back, and I knew they would be there for me if something were to go wrong.”
To be in the spotlight was something new for her, saying she acted as anyone else would have.
“It wasn’t until after when I got home that I understood how big it was,” she says. “It seemed like half the country was trying to get in contact with me. That was kind of when I realised ‘wow, this is kind of a big thing.’”
That spirit of compassion and service has inspired her to become a paramedic once she finishes school. And she says that her biggest inspiration is Sasha, her mother, who is a lifesaver as well.
“I really love not just being able to be a surf lifesaver and helping the community, but also showing people that, as a young woman, I’m able to do that just as well as any man is. I’m able to show other girls, especially younger girls, that’s something that they can definitely do as well.”
Her passion and commitment to others have also marked her student life as a Year 11 student at Ravenswood School for Girls in Gordon where she dedicates her time to social causes.
“I’m really big on social justice. I’m very passionate about the First Nations people of Australia. I’m in a club at school that is bringing awareness to (the struggles) of indigenous Australians.
“I think everyone deserves the same opportunities. It’s so important, and unfortunately, there are groups of people who still are underprivileged and have unfair disadvantages imposed on them from birth just because of the way they look. I really feel that everyone should have equal opportunities.”