‘It leaves an open hole’: Air rescue hero recalls most devastating call-outs

They put their lives on the line every time they respond to an emergency call-out and now an air rescue hero has opened up on some of his most devastating rescue attempts that still stick with him today.

Tony LeMarseny, 60, has been working with the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service for 35 years and has saved hundreds of families from horrific car crashes, possible drownings, cliff accidents and many more terrifying situations.

He now stars on Channel 7’s show Air Rescue alongside some of his fellow workers, and a recent episode showed the incredible moment he managed to rescue an entire family of four following a helicopter crash in thick bushland.

Pilot Peter Butler had been forced to crash land his helicopter following a mid-air mechanical failure, with his daughter Kate, son-in-law Chris and three-year-old grandson Finn onboard. With few details on their exact location, Tony’s rescue helicopter was called out to the area with most of the crew assuming at that point that it would have crashed into the ocean.

“Most aircrafts fly along the water there for safety reasons,” he explained in an exclusive chat with Starts at 60. “When you see the cliffs there… I was in my wetsuit, which I wouldn’t have gone in if we knew it was a land job.”

Instead, after turning inland they spotted the wreckage in the middle of the bush. Miraculously, Peter and his family all survived the landing and were later winched to safety by Tony. Peter was hailed a hero by everyone onboard, having managed to land the helicopter safely under extreme circumstances to “save his family”.

The youngster, Finn, was the same age as Tony’s own grandson at the time, making the rescue all that more scary. Now he has admitted that it was just the latest rescue that has proved emotionally difficult for him.

“Knowing there was a family onboard, it was pretty worrying before we left. You just have to focus on the job at hand… Thank God it wasn’t a water job. You can land a helicopter in the water, but it can be pretty ugly,” he said.

“I’ve been to a few jobs over the years that involved kids. I’ve got two older kids and three grandkids myself. The numbers certainly stack up, probably not in your favour, when the age of the person you’re doing the rescue of is the same or similar age to your own kids or grandkids.”

Tony admitted many jobs stick with him, just like little Finn, and asked what the most difficult memories he has are, he said: “There are two and they’re both related to the age of my kids.”

“One was a car crash on the south coast of NSW which is a plague for car crashes during the holiday season, and a young girl that was seriously injured and later passed away during our flight back was the same age as my daughter by a week,” he explained.

“Then, a couple of weeks later down in the Kangaroo Valley a young kid drowned. He was the same age as my son at the time. I never forget those jobs. I never get contact with any of the people afterwards or anything… It leaves a bit of an open hole.”

Asked if it’s hard to leave his patients behind after a job, as they’re then treated in hospital, Tony said: “Yes, it is a bit weird, it’s all a bit surreal to be honest. It’s a major part of someone’s life…

“I often think as they get older, what sort of clarity they’d have about the day. It must be very sad to think it over and over. Especially for people in my demographic, when you’re in charge of your kids or grandkids, it’s a damn big load. If something goes wrong when you’re in charge of them, it would be pretty tough.”

He has since pleaded with both parents and grandparents to take extra care when looking after young kids, as many rescues he’s attended have been down to children running off or parents losing sight of them.

Recalling an incident last year at his own home, he said he had ventured down to the beach when he saw two young girls run out and jump straight into the middle of a riptide. 

“It was so obvious to me,” he said. “I found out later they’d just arrived and they were from England. The two kids were so excited and they’d just taken off with no guidance. One was about nine and the other about 11.

Read more: Air rescue hero shares life-saving tips for Aussie families in summer

“I ran down the beach and thought, ‘The odds are I’ll only get one kid out here as I wouldn’t be able to carry both’. I ran and dived in within the shortest distance I could get.

“I had both [kids] and then I looked across the beach and saw a guy running with a surf board who I hadn’t seen before. He was watching from the car park, so he saved the day. These kids were gone for all money.

“We got them on to the beach and the parents came down and they had absolutely no idea at all. It was pure luck we were there.”

While Tony’s Air Rescue episode aired in December, the show continues every Sunday night through to January 13 on Channel 7.

Have you or anyone you know ever relied on a rescue team or helicopter?