It was meant to be

A controller from Station 21 St Francis Bay, Dee Love, was walking her son’s dog on the beach and suddenly spotted this huge Rottweiler approaching followed by its owners. Despite great trepidation of confrontation by the dogs, after greeting one another in “doggy fashion” they immediately started romping on the beach so the adults started chatting.What transpired was so amazing!The gentleman, Max Siebert, standing on the beach in front of Dee was one of the four survivors from the Kingfisher disaster in December 2009. A poignant discussion took place as she had been in the control room when the “Pan-Pan” message was broadcast over the radio. Max told me how he had clung to a LPG bottle until he was close enough to attempt the last metres to shore - where he was spotted between the rocks and plucked to safety by a sea rescue crew member, and flown to hospital by helicopter.During the long conversation, Max said that it had always been his wish to meet the crew members who had saved him.As Sunday practice was taking place that weekend, he and his partner, Camilla, were invited to come along to Station 21 for breakfast before practice. Many of the members involved in this operation were there and from both sides the discussion of the incident was shared with great emotion.Usually there is no further contact with any person assisted in an operation so both the crew and Max found that the discussion beneficially therapeutic.It was meant to be!