How Brian was 'hooked' on lifesaving

Brian Roselt remembers it well. He was ‘hooked’ on surf lifesaving after a few minutes sitting on a trailer at the Redcliffe club.

That was five years ago. Today he is a Redcliffe Surf Lifesaving Club Patrol Captain, mentor to many and has surf lifesaving’s Bronze Medallion.

Brian is also part of surf lifesaving’s Waverunner 12 operations support team covering an area from Golden Beach, Caloundra around 10kms north to Kawana.

Biggest reward

In fact, Brian, now 57 and a Kippa-Ring resident, reckons surf lifesaving is something he may be able to do for decades.

“The biggest reward is teaching skills to others,” he says. “I love mentoring the younger members (at the SLSC) and hearing them paraphrase what they have been told.

“That and rescuing someone and giving them back to their family. I think there’s no more noble thing to be able to do.”

Come on down

He found surf lifesaving, or surf lifesaving found him, during a conversation about swimming and surfing – both of which Brian says he “loves”.

“A friend of mine had (the surf lifesaving club’s) Patrol 6,” says Brian, “we were talking swimming and surfing and he said ‘why not come down’?

“I sat on the trailer and was hooked. I thought it’s something I can do until I’m 80, if I’m fit enough …. giving back to the community.”

First rescue

His first rescue was a pool swimmer who got into trouble (off Suttons Beach). Then there was a double rescue in which he had to quickly decide which order to rescue the swimmers.

Brian first arrived on the peninsula at the age of two – “I got here as soon as I could,” he jokes - and has never left.

He grew up at Scotts Point, ironically one end of his current patrol area every third Saturday and says spent most of his time on the beach.

As well as being a patrol captain at Redcliffe SLSC, he is also part of Grimsey’s Adult SwimFit sessions off Sutton Beach.

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