The 2010 Tathra Beach BUSA BASH

[highwaybruiser]

Well guys & gals, it's less than a week to go now. As you know I had to bail out of this year's Bash because of my crook back. Well, my back is on the mend, but as it turns out, this last week something has happened that means I wouldn't have been able to make it anyway.

Last Sunday afternoon, a young mate of mine was killed when he crashed his car on Jervis Bay Rd, not far from Huskisson. Maybe you saw it on Monday night's news. It was pretty bad, with Scott's car being flipped onto its roof and bursting into flames. Scotty was in the RFS here at Sanctuary Point, a valued member and competent Firefighter, engaged to be married to his sweetheart Jess, all at the tender age of just 18. He was a good kid that made a mistake that cost him his life, the life of one of his friends, and another of his friend's life hangs in the balance, he is still listed as critical in a medically induced coma. The two women in the other car are both in a serious but stable condition.

What makes this so hard for all of us down here is that Scott's parents are both Firefighters in the RFS and were both in the truck on the callout to the MVA. En-route, Scott's Dad was trying to phone him to say "Meet us on scene." The fire was so intense that the number plates melted. Scotty was trapped inside the wreck. It just doesn't get any worse than that. We can only hope that it was the impact that took his life. His Mum was holding up an IV drip for the paramedics as they helped one of the women from the other vehicle, at the time wondering whether or not it was indeed her son's car on its roof still smouldering.

I'm sorry to upset you all with this story, but believe me, I've left out the very worst details that you really just don't want to know.

The funeral will be a full State Funeral, with guard of honour, handing over of an RFS flag to his parents, and all RFS members in their Yellows, on Friday December 3.

So please everyone, ride safe, have a beer for me and my RFS comrades on Friday night, have a great weekend, and make it back home in one piece. I'll do my level best to make sure I'm there for next year's run.

Wazza.

R.I.P. Scotty.