Peter Quartly | Volunteer Lifesaver

My name is Peter and I was born in January 1950, so death has touched my life on a number of occasions. I have been a Bondi lifesaver for over sixty years, and was a claims officer within the Insurance industry, where I specialized for many years in the areas of public and professional liability within the Local Government area.

My earliest recollection is that when I was given an injection by my doctor’s locum, for asthma, in the mid-fifties. This resulted in my being paralysed whilst sitting at the kitchen table and not being able to move or speak. My fear of it being permanently paralysed was terrifying and I prayed to God to take me. To this day, I still have nightmares of not being able to move.

As a Lifesaver on patrol, you have a legal obligation to resuscitate. I have seen death and a number of resurrections on the beach, over the years and you never get used to it. 

There is nothing worse than pulling someone out of the water and the casualty does not have a pulse (although these days we do not check the pulse, but look at the signs, such as deeply unconscious, muscle tone and colour of lips and face etc). Luckily on the couple of occasions it has occurred to my patrol over the last sixty years, we were successful in resuscitating them. 

But seeing someone gun-metal grey, with no muscle tone and then checking their pulse and finding it absent, is very sobering. And a number of the Patrol unfortunately needed counselling on one occasion.

The most challenging occasion was when I was waiting at the bus stop in the late seventies and a very old gentleman in the local grocery shop collapsed. I was called into the shop and did an assessment and found he had a pulse, though unconscious, so I placed him in the recovery position and monitored his pulse. At the same time the ambulance was called. When they arrived, I did the wrong thing and got up and spoke to the Ambos. In the interim his pulse ceased and he was declared dead. This had a severe impact on me, that I still remember vividly today.  

A mate from kindergarten put off an operation, that resulted in his having a heart attack and subsequently died. This led me to be very angry at him, as it resulted in a lot of grief to his family and if he had done the sensible thing, he more than likely would be with us today.

Another acquaintance did a similar thing, in that he put off an operation, as he did not want to inconvenience them with Easter coming up and they ended up preparing his funeral over Easter.

I have always believed that if a person’s quality of life has deteriorated to such an extent that you do not wish to continue, then you should be allowed to die with dignity. I have with my kids suggested that you wouldn’t let a horse suffer and it is the same and don’t be afraid to call the Vet to put me down. Hopefully this will not be necessary for some time to come.

I believe in God and as such, I do not see dying as the end of the world. As to what happens after death, I do not know, although I do believe in a heaven.

—Peter Quartly (2025)

Editor’s note: Peter Quartly has spent over 60 seasons patrolling with Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club. He has been club president of the Bondi Amateur Swimming Club 13 times, and an examiner and assessor for more than 40 years at Surf Life Saving Sydney.

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