Most surf lifesavers spend years learning first aid and resuscitation skills, hoping they will never need to use them.
For Mackenzi Smith, that moment came not on a Queensland beach, but on a busy street in New York City.
While holidaying with her family, the 18-year-old Bronze Medallion holder found herself responding to a life-threatening emergency involving a complete stranger. What followed was a reminder that the skills learned through surf lifesaving don’t stop at the shoreline.
Sometimes, they can mean the difference between life and death.
A Day Like Any Other
The day had started like any other on the family’s trip.
“We got up, went to Starbucks and we were doing some sightseeing around New York,” Mackenzi said.
“We were on the way back from doing the normal tourist attractions like seeing the Statue of Liberty and we were just sitting on one of the sightseeing buses in the crazy New York traffic.”
As she sat listening to music and watching the city go by, something caught her attention.
“I had my AirPods in and was just looking around when I saw him grab his chest and collapse.”
At first, she expected somebody else to step in.
“I was waiting for someone to help him but it wasn’t until I heard his wife scream so loud and call for a doctor that I knew something was seriously wrong.”
Without hesitation, Mackenzi ran from the bus and towards the man.
Trusting Your Ability
Many people freeze when faced with a medical emergency.
Mackenzi didn’t.
“To be honest, my body was moving before my mind knew what was going on,” she said.
“I think we are very lucky to live in a country like Australia where it is normal to help each other out.”
As she assessed the patient and began CPR, one piece of advice stayed front of mind.
“I think the main thing that gave me the confidence was something our club Training Officer, Phil Reed, said when I was doing my IRB Drivers and it was simply to ‘trust my ability’.”
“That is what kept me going.”
Years of training quickly took over. The same skills learned through surf lifesaving suddenly became very real in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities.
Working Together
When Mackenzi’s family caught up to her, she was already working on the patient.
Knowing she couldn’t do it alone, she turned to her father Dean for help.
“It was quite stressful but without Dad’s help, Stephen’s chances wouldn’t have been very good,” she said.
“Dad delivered the breaths and we just worked off each other with good communication to support each other through.”
Although Dean wasn’t first aid trained, Mackenzi calmly talked him through every step of the process.
“After the first couple of rounds of CPR and reminding Dad to have head tilt, he knew exactly what to do.”
“That gave me opportunity to focus on making sure my compressions were efficient.”
Together, father and daughter continued CPR while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
Calm on the Outside
To onlookers, Mackenzi appeared calm.
Inside, however, she was carrying the weight of the situation.
“I was definitely not calm on the inside,” she admitted.
“While I went into autopilot when doing the primary survey, the whole time all I could think was ‘keep fighting Stephen for your wife and sons’.”
As she worked, she couldn’t help but notice Stephen’s family watching nearby.
“I still see it to this day looking at this man and him being lifeless and then looking back to his wife and sons who were standing with my mum and they were just praying.”
“There was a lot of pressure to know that this could have been the last time this family saw their father and it wasn’t fair for these two boys who were probably only 12 or 13 to lose their father.”
Despite everything happening around her, she kept returning to the same thing.
“I think it came back to just trusting myself and my training from Surf Life Saving.”
The Moment It Hit
After multiple rounds of CPR, Stephen regained consciousness.
For Mackenzi, the reality of what had happened didn’t immediately sink in.
“After he was resuscitated and came back to life, so many strangers came up to me and started saying ‘God Bless You’,” she said.
“But it wasn’t until I looked at his wife and son’s faces and saw the relief that they had and the weight lifted off their shoulders that it really hit me.”
“I think it was the fact that we were able to make a complete stranger and his family’s worst day that little bit better and they got to have more time with their father.”
It was a moment she will never forget.
More Than Beach Skills
The experience reinforced something Mackenzi believes every surf lifesaver should remember.
“One thing Surf Life Saving has taught me is that these skills aren’t just beach skills, they’re life skills,” she said.
“You never know when an emergency is going to happen.”
“There are stories of surf lifesavers using their training everywhere from airports to city streets, and even overseas.”
“It has made me realise how valuable it is to be prepared because the ability to stay calm, assess a situation, and help someone can be needed anywhere, not just on the beach.”
Back home, the response from her club, family, and friends was overwhelming.
“You always hear about this from other clubs but I guess you never would expect to hear it from your own club,” she said.
“The support I received however from the club was incredible.”
For members currently learning first aid and resuscitation skills, her advice is simple.
“Be open and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
“Trust your ability, you can do anything.”
Thousands of kilometres from the nearest patrol tower, a young surf lifesaver proved exactly why those lessons matter.
Because sometimes the most important rescue you’ll ever perform happens a long way from the beach.