The surf life saving movement along the East Coast is mourning two well-known and champion lifesavers who passed away last week.
Michael (Coke) Coleman from the Nambucca Heads Surf Life Saving Club, was a former North Coast Branch Champion in craft events, also prominent in R and R and swimming. He was a past office bearer of the club, and through his efforts held the club together when it was having membership problems back in the 1980s.
‘Coke’ became well-known also later as the secretary-manager of the Nambucca Sports and Leagues Club, overlooking Coronation Park.
Tommy Cook first came to prominence with the Kempsey/Crescent Head Surf Club, and from there to Macksville-Scotts Head, Nambucca Heads, Dixon Park, Byron Bay and other great surf clubs along the coast.
Tom was a champion surf and belt swimmer (one of the best-ever), also competing in R and R events. He won countless country and branch titles in the surf, mainly in his favourite event, the senior surf race where, on his day, he was practically unbeatable.
In the North Coast Branch for many years, his battles with Warren Bingham, Roy and Noel Olive, Brian (Pud) Laverty, and Rex (Tiger) Teece will always be remembered.
Tommy, in his job with the Rural Bank (later State Bank), saw him transferred many times, and on each occasion where possible, he joined a surf club near his work.
On February 17, 1957, Tom was involved in a test of courage and endurance at Crescent Head, when John Westaway was washed out to sea in 20 foot waves whilst swimming with a group of
lifesavers, including Cook, Bill Ewart, Garry Gillie and Brian Landrigan. Attempts to reach him failed many times, but finally Tom got there on a surfoplane.
He and Brian Landrigan stayed with Westaway for nearly two hours supporting him, but eventually they were separated in huge seas... Westaway was over a mile from the beach.
Cook and Landrigan finally fought their way back to shore, taking 45 minutes to get there. After three hours and being taken a mile-and-a-half north of the surf club, Westaway finally made it in to shore... a very lucky man.
In 1958 Thomas J Cook was presented with the Bronze Medallion and Certificate of the Royal Shipwreck ‘Relief and Humane Society of NSW’ for his “brave rescue work in rough seas at Crescent Head on February 17th, 1957”.
This rescue was reported in the edition of the Macleay Argus, February 19, 1957.
Tommy Cook was an all-round sportsman, playing first grade football with Macksville and Nambucca Heads clubs as a 5/8 or centre. He also played top grade basketball with the Macksville Ampols team, which won the premiership. Some of his team mates were Mike Moran, Brian Laverty, Peter Bartlett, Owen Frith, Col McNeill, and Col Harding. Some great rivals at the time were Butch Brown, Col Andrews, Alan McLennan, Alan Brown, Garry Johnson, Mike Ryan... great times in a past era.
Both these men were not only champion sportsmen, but champion blokes, well-liked and friendly, who loved life, their friends, and mainly their families. They were ordinary, proud but great Australians.
Though they have now passed on, all involved in sporting circles in the district and beyond will remember them.
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