The man informed him that two of his friends had

fallen from near the top of Lion Rock.

Having the presence of mind to radio the incident

in to Surfcom, Jonathon then responded to find

the two men near the base of Lion Rock in a

critical condition.

Joined by fellow local lifeguards who had been

alerted by Surfcom and the Piha First Response

team, the group set about stabilising the men.

Not helped by the difficult position on loose

materials at the base of Lion Rock and working

in darkness, the team were able to assess that

one of the men had critical internal injuries and

the other a badly broken leg. Both had impact

injuries to their heads and were unconscious.

Some of the team went to fetch club ATVs to

provide lighting to the area the men were in, joined

soon after by the Piha Volunteer Fire Service.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter, which was

initially unavailable arrived and Advanced

Paramedic Chris Deacon assisted with the

stabilization of the men and their careful transfer

from the beach to the helicopter for airlift to

hospital.

At one stage there wear fears both men would

not pull through, however thanks to the lifeguards

and in particular Jonathon’s advanced medical

knowledge, the men are lucky to be alive.