Matty Johns, Greg Bird, Mat Rogers in brush with death

[Ryan]

Matty Johns, Greg Bird, Mat Rogers in brush with death
Tyson Otto
The Daily Telegraph
December 21, 2010 11:00PM
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1225974673727


Scare ... Matty Johns (left), Robbie McEwen (top), Greg Bird (middle) and Mat Rogers (bottom). Source: The Daily Telegraph

RETIRED league star Mat Rogers and cyclist Robbie McEwen were last night being hailed as heroes after saving a man who fell off the back of a boat when potentially lethal carbon monoxide fumes filled their boat 400m out to sea off the Gold Coast.

Rogers, McEwen, NRL and Channel 7 identity Matthew Johns and Titans star utility Greg Bird were among a group of nine people travelling back to the Gold Coast from Stradbroke Island on a hired 30-foot motor yacht in the lead-up to the Mat Rogers Celebrity Golf Classic to raise funds for Rogers' 4ASD Kids charity.

But the passengers were inhaling the undetectable gas from exhaust fumes building up in the boat and six of the nine on board, including Johns and Bird, collapsed.

One man, who was standing at the back of the boat, fell over the railing when he became disoriented and lost consciousness.

Despite being badly disoriented himself, Rogers was the first to dive into the water after the man. He was followed quickly by McEwen, whose high-altitude training experience made him less susceptible to the fumes.

The pair made sure to keep the unconscious man's head above water and were able to drag him back into the boat.

"They deserve a big wrap," Johns said yesterday.

"Mat reckons his head was spinning when he hit the water, but it didn't stop him.

"It was amazing. He might have saved that guy's life. Actually, he did save that guy's life."

The boat made it safely back to shore, where all nine on board were treated by paramedics.

Six of those, including the man who fell overboard, were taken to hospital and later discharged.

But the drama could have been much worse - a large group of children was due to travel on Rogers' boat but at the last minute was moved to one of the other two boats used in the excursion.

Rogers said it was the scariest moment of his life and was extremely apologetic to everyone caught up in the drama..

The golf event raised nearly $200,000 for the charity, which supports treatment options for children with autism.

McEwen, who suffered a severe headache when he returned to shore, downplayed his role in the heroic rescue. "It was a dramatic boat ride, for sure, but it all turned out OK, which is the main thing," he said.

[TITAN PETE]

I'm glad this story has come out , after hearing about it on Saturday night i thought for sure the media would somehow try & blame Bird or Johns but very happy with the outcome

You would expect nothing less from the Rat

[DIEHARD]

OMG Pete, I freaked out when I read the title and I'm still freaking out reading the article.

I can't believe this happened, I can't believe how deadly this could have been, how undetectable it, how lucky we are that everyone is ok, Matty and Birdy included....

And how brave Matty and Robbie are. They are heroes, but could have easily been lost too.

Thank god everything is ok and probably thank god they are professional sportsman, which certainly helped them in this time of need.

WOW.

[Mushi]

What a scary boat ride. I too am glad the media is praising the people involved - the end result is fantastic that everyone is ok - it certainly could have been a lot worse!

[DIEHARD]

Rogers 'gripped by terror' on boat ride

Dual international Mat Rogers was "gripped by terror" as a Gold Coast boat cruise with former rugby league teammates and friends almost ended in tragedy at the weekend.

Rogers was one of 10 people, including two children, on a 10-metre boat with former Titans teammate Greg Bird, TV personality Matt Johns and international cyclist Robbie McEwen, when passengers began losing consciousness after inhaling undetectable but toxic carbon monoxide fumes.

He and McEwen are being hailed as heroes after rescuing a passenger who fell overboard during the drama.

Advertisement: Story continues below "There was a time on the boat I felt terrified and powerless to do anything," the recently retired rugby league star told AAP on Wednesday.

"I was pretty messed up for a time. I slipped off my chair and ended up on the ground but I don't think I lost complete consciousness.

"It was frightening.

"I was standing there thinking `what's happening, what's happening', it was like something out of a movie.

"I remember I had my phone in my hand and I was looking at it wondering what I was going to do with it, I couldn't even make a phone call."

Despite his confused state, Rogers leapt into the water to help a man who'd fallen off the back of the boat after blacking out just off Sanctuary Cove.

He and McEwen, whose high altitude training and superior oxygen levels helped him cope with the situation better than other passengers, kept the unconscious passenger's head above water until help arrived.

"I saw the man walk around to the back of the boat and pass out and fall into the water," recalled the 34-year-old Rogers.

"I think I was probably the only one who saw him fall overboard. I was just coming to my senses and jumped in, which was probably a silly thing to do.

"I ran through the boat and just dived in. Robbie (McEwen) tried to stop me because he knew I wasn't any good and then he dived in after me.

"I just grabbed the guy and laid back in the water and waited for the boat to come back around and get us."

The scary experience left Rogers more exhausted than in any of the 100 representative games he played during his career.

"I was that spent. I had no oxygen left in my system after I'd jumped in with Robbie to get this guy, I couldn't get back in the boat," he said.

"Luckily Birdie (Greg Bird) realised how serious it was and he just grabbed me and pulled me into the boat.

"I'm glad Birdie was there, he's a big fella and I was really struggling."

The drama started on the slow trip back from McLarens Landing when passengers began to lose consciousness.

The plastic panels on the side of the boat, lowered to protect passengers from a storm, had created a vacuum that sucked the killer fumes back into the boat.

"We were breathing it in, totally oblivious to it, we couldn't smell it," said Rogers.

"It was nobody's fault, it was just one of those freak things."

http://news.smh.com.au