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March 29th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda
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Hundreds of people gathered on Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine coasts yesterday to remember 14-year-old Matthew Barclay, who died while competing at the national surf lifesaving titles.
The national surf life saving titles will be moved to a different Gold Coast beach today as investigations continue into the Maroochydore boy’s death in a board race at Kurrawa Beach on Wednesday.
It is the third time a competitor has died at the national championships at Kurrawa Beach since 1996.
About 200 mourners gathered late yesterday at Maroochydore Beach on the Sunshine Coast, while another service was held at Broadbeach surf club on the Gold Coast.
The service included tributes and prayers for the teenager during an audio hook-up at Broadbeach and Maroochydore.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbot says the region will rally around the family and friends of the 14-year-old.
Councillor Abbot says it is sad to lose someone so young.
“In this case Matthew with such a promising future – it’s extremely sad for his family and all those around him – his club members and his club mates and his school mates,” he said.
“From me, it’s just the utmost sympathy for his family and his friends and I certainly hope that the Sunshine Coast can rally around and support them as much as possible during this hard time.”
He says he will do whatever he can to provide support.
“That will be important for them to get through that and I understand his school mates have got some counselling happening – I’m sure that that’s happening at the club as well,” he said.
“The family has to get through this and I’m sure that with all the support we can give them from the Sunshine Coast Council and the community, it can only ease their pain somewhat.”
Surf Life Saving Australia spokesman Brett Williamson says it is a tragic loss.
“Matthew was not only a great champion in the making, but he was a champion bloke,” he said.
Competition moved
Organisers says the competition will resume today.
Mr Williamson says the event will be moved to North Kirra today out of respect for the teenager’s family and fellow competitors.
“It’s a very, very traumatic time and we thought it was not appropriate to even attempt to look at continuing the event at Kurrawa,” he said.
“Therefore full risk assessments and contingency plans have been put in place.”
Former ironman champion Grant Kenny has told ABC Radio’s AM program he supports the decision to go ahead with the competition.
“I don’t see a reason why it should not proceed – I think certainly there’s no safety argument for it not to go ahead,” he said.
“I think the biggest issue is that of respect for Matt and the family and my understanding is that they were part of the consultative process.”
He says he does not think surf life saving events should be banned at Kurrawa Beach.
Mr Kenny says his son was competing on Wednesday and he had no concerns for his safety.
“He and his friends were in the water for about an hour-and-a-half afterwards searching for Matthew,” he said.
“Not once did I ever have a concern for [my son’s] safety.
“I’m not aware – and I’ve asked the question of the other children in the same age group, the under 15s – and none of those competitors, nor their parents had any concerns either.”
Parents angry
However the father of Saxon Bird says he is angry another boy has died at the national surf life saving titles at Kurrawa beach, two years after his own son drowned during the competition.
In 2010, 19-year-old Saxon Bird was hit in the head with a surf ski and knocked out and was not rescued for about 50 minutes despite thousands of people being on the beach.
His father, Phil Bird, is critical of the efforts and culture of officials to make things safer.
Mr Bird told AM that Wednesday’s race should not have gone ahead.
“They have ignored the fact that there was substantial risk as evidenced by them cancelling the boats earlier on in the day,” he said.
“If it’s too dangerous for the boats, how could it possibly be not too dangerous for 15 and 14 and 13-year-old girls and boys?”
Saxon Bird’s mother, Dana Bird, told Channel Seven she and her husband are angry another life has been lost at the event.
“We were both in a state of shock,” she said.
“We had always said it was going to happen again and I knew it was going to happen again, but I didn’t think two years later.
“But it was going to happen again if they leave it at Kurrawa.”
Topics:
grief,
emergency-incidents,
surf-life-saving,
broadbeach-4218,
maroochydore-4558,
kirra-4225
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