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Heroes Thank Heroes
updated: Sep 30, 2012, 8:18 AM
By the Urban Hikers
Usually it's our firefighters who humbly receive accolades and thanks for their heroic efforts, but on Saturday evening it was the
firefighters who offered thanks and showed appreciation for a job well done. After four young men from Sydney, Australia saved a local man's life on Friday
afternoon near Stearns Wharf,the Santa Barbara City Firefighters Association decided to honor the men with a special dinner at Station 1. Also on hand for
the celebratory tri-tip feast was Emma Dallimore and her cameraman, Ben. Ms. Dallimore works in Los Angeles and is the US correspondent for News Ten,
an Australian news program. She told us she was awakened by her Sydney producer before dawn on Saturday morning, after he had read a story on Edhat
about the heroic Aussies. He called to tell her to travel to Santa Barbara to cover the story.
When the four men, Michael Predergast, Matt Waite, James Mahon and Mitch Bourke arrived at Station 1, firefighters thanked
them and gave them a tour of the station. On hand to greet the men was one of Station 2‘s firefighters who had been on duty Friday afternoon and assisted
in the the rescue operation. The four men also received tee shirts, courtesy of Ed, which they quickly changed into. Emma and Ben followed along as the
men toured Station 1 and sat down to a traditional tri-tip bar-b-que dinner, complete with ti-tip, salad, beans and garlic bread, which was provided by the
SB City Firefighters' Association. Firefighters and the news team joined the heroes at the table, but the news team had forwarded everyone that they would
need to "dine & dash". They returned to Los Angeles where they recorded the segment and transmitted it fiber optically to Sydney, Australia in time for the 5
o'clock news on Sunday, which is Saturday midnight, here in California.
After dinner, the four Australian heroes were given a ride on Truck 1, the big ladder truck that is part of Station 1's fleet.
The four Aussies will leave Santa Barbara in a few days, driving first to San Francisco, then flying to NYC and Florida. They plan to
return home in about three weeks. The elusive "professional woman wrestler " who also assisted in the water rescue was unavailable for comment. Sadly, we
were able to ascertain that due to a miscommunication (the strong Southern accent might be to blame), initial reports that the woman is a professional
wrestler are incorrect. She, along with her boyfriend have reportedly left Santa Barbara to sail to Newport Beach aboard a private boat.
We have no update on the injured body surfer, but extend our sincerest wishes for a speedy recovery.
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