A Brisbane lawyer has been hailed as a hero after saving the life of a 23-year-old man who nearly drowned at Shoal Bay on Christmas Day. Ben Jebb, a father of two, identified himself as the rescuer after his sister sent him a news article seeking the Good Samaritan who pulled Mackenzie Symons from the water.
Jebb was enjoying a holiday with his family when the incident unfolded. “We were staying in a holiday rental nearby, visiting my sister who lives in the area,” he explained. “We went down because one of my sons wanted to try out his new boogie board.” The beach was relatively quiet, but Jebb and his sons were just meters away from the group of friends when Symons got into trouble.
A Christmas Morning Turned Heroic
The tranquil Christmas morning at Shoal Bay took a dramatic turn when Symons, swimming with friends Billy and Joe Labroad, found himself in distress. Jebb recounted how Billy approached him, half-jokingly asking to borrow his son’s boogie board, before realizing the gravity of the situation. “I could see Billy’s face just go white and I knew something serious was happening,” Jebb said.
With the help of Joe, they managed to pull Symons to the shore. Despite having only basic first aid training from a CPR course 17 years ago, Jebb’s instincts kicked in. “The boys were kind of in shock and didn’t quite know what to do, so I just started CPR,” he said. Symons was not breathing and had ingested a significant amount of water.
Life-Saving Efforts and Community Response
Jebb’s quick actions were pivotal in Symons’ survival. “After about two or three minutes he started getting some water up and I could hear some very raspy breaths, which was a good sign,” he recalled. Emergency services arrived shortly after, intubating Symons and removing more water from his lungs.
The incident underscores the importance of first aid knowledge and community support in emergencies. Symons’ father, Reano, expressed his gratitude in a heartfelt message, “Forward three days and our boy is home with us, healthy, very vague, and alive thanks to Billy Labroad, his brother, and this stranger whom I’m trying to find, so I can thank him for saving my son’s life.”
Reflections and Future Implications
Jebb, who had not heard from the family until the article surfaced, was relieved to learn of Symons’ recovery. “I’m glad to hear he has come out the back end of it but obviously he will still have some recovering to do,” he said. The event has sparked conversations about the need for more widespread first aid training and awareness.
According to experts, drowning incidents like this highlight the critical role bystanders can play in life-saving situations. With more people equipped with basic CPR skills, the chances of survival in similar scenarios could be significantly improved.
“He was grey, and I didn’t know at that time he had seven litres of water in him, it was clear he wasn’t breathing,” Jebb said, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
As the Symons family continues to process the events of that day, they are eager to connect with Jebb to express their gratitude. Meanwhile, Jebb remains humble about his actions, attributing the successful rescue to a team effort.
The story serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictability of life and the profound impact of human kindness and courage. As the community of Shoal Bay reflects on this near-tragic event, the heroic actions of a Brisbane lawyer on a family holiday will not soon be forgotten.
