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Gulf News 12 May 2005
Quick thinking saves old friend
Roy Skinner - "I could have been a goner."
For 86-year-old islander and long-term boating club stalwart Roy Skinner it was just another trip to town, this time to catch up with some old boating mates.
For Fullers' customer services team leader Maree Southon, it was just another day at work. The old friends greeted each, other on the wharf in town.
“What are you doing over here, Roy”, she asked.
“A reunion with some old sailing friends”, he said,
“Oh. You have a good day now”, she said.
“I'll do that”, he said and walked on.
But before Roy got to the end of the tiled walkway in front of the Fullers Cruise Centre he felt giddy and short of breath and paused for a spell. While waiting for a lift, sitting on a concrete pillar out in the new turning zone, he passed out.
"I'd just walked into the cruise centre when a passenger came in and said `Does anyone here know CPR?"' says Maree.
A "safety officer at heart", she had always known where the "one-way breathers" designed to protect those giving mouth-to-mouth were kept. She grabbed one and ran out to where the passenger had been pointing.
Sprawled out and "very blue" was her old friend Roy. She let out an expletive and went straight to work.
"I kind of thrive on drama," she admits.
There was no breath and no pulse. A couple of breaths. 15 cardiac presses, some more breaths and Roy began to breath again. It was "really fast". Then she lay beside him, comforting him and telling him not to scare her again like that.
Marie has lived on Waiheke, for 13 years now, but remembers Roy from her childhood when she would visit her grandparents on the island.
"I've always known him. He's an awesome person. But I had no idea he was 86."
"She brought me round. could have been a goner," says Roy. "I want to acknowledge
what Maree did for me. She stayed in the ambulance with me all the way to hospital. She's a wonderful girl and she's a credit to Fullers. It's when these things happen that you realise how close Waiheke people are to each other.”
And what did the doctors say of what turned, out to be a "general heart and lung condition"?
"They said slow down," Roy admits. And he will, after his own fashion.
"It's not going to worry me. I will do what I feel I can do.
Thanks to medication it's unlikely to happen again and, yes, he'll still be down at the causeway helping others with their boats or taking his 21-foot launch, Friendship out for a fish.
21 May 2005
Annual prize giving was held on Saturday 21 May 2005 at the RAYC Akarana. A full list of the season results can be found on the results page.
3 May 2005
Next M Class meeting is this Thursday 5th May. Guest speaker is Kenny Fyfe. 19:30 kick off for meeting & 20:30 for Kenny.
23 April 2005The first three races of the Scott Wilson series were sailed in light breeze on Sunday. The results were close, with the winner being decided on the final race on Sunday 1st May. Will Matapan be able to hold off Mach One and defend her cup?
There is no M class racing on ANZAC day
17 April 2005
Scott Wilson series starts this Sunday. All entries accepted. All going to plan, Tawera - Scott Wilson's original A Class keeler - will be there to act as flag ship at the finish line.
7 April 2005
M Class committee meeting
7:30,
7 April 2005.
Tom Dodson from Southern Spars is talking on how to make your M Class go faster - All Welcome
