The other Hoppo.

Hoppo, You're the Winner of Australian Lifeguard of the Year Award in 2006!

Okay, okay, I'm talking about the Other Hoppo, the one who resides at the famous Bondi, not the one whom ermmmmm shrieks when she sees crumpled tissues. Heeeeeeeeeeee!

Anyway, you can catch the Other Hoppo live in action in the show 'Bondi Rescue'. Typically, the episodes show random things such as very toned (Hehe!) lifeguards rushing out in the surfboards in the scary splashing waves to rescue weak swimmers, to them searching for lost children or even apprehending perverts.

But last Monday's episode was heartwrenching. A lifeguard at the tower spotted a swimmer, but lost sight of him in just a split moment. It was unknown if the swimmer had just dived and swam away, or if he was swallowed by the gripping waves. To be on the safe side, the search started.

Every lifeguard was engaged in the search but they could not find that swimmer. After some time, the search was put to a halt. Afterall, they were not sure who they were looking for, no one had reported any missing persons and the swimmer could have long reached the shores safely.

Yet 2 hours later, a lady and her son came forward to report a missing person: her husband, a doctor from Mongolia. They last saw him approximately 2 hours ago and he was a weak swimmer. The lifeguards wasted no time and called in the helicopters and sent the team out in jetskis and surfboards. After a long search, they finally found him.

Sadly, it was too late. He was overpowered by the waves and could not be revived. He left behind his wife and a teenager son. The even sadder part? He and his family had just migrated to Australia a week ago, to start on a new phase of their life. The saddest part of all? It was his birthday. :( This is one of those days you can find no words to say besides 'So sad!' It was such a depressing day at Bondi, leaving all the lifeguards devastated. It was the first drowning in 4 years at Bondi.

Anyway, okay, this is meant to be a happy blog entry, to introduce the heroic Other Hoppo to all of you guys.

P.S Hoppo, is he your alter ego? Like one moment, you are here being our silly lame Hoppo. Next moment, you fly halfway around the earth to rescue people in the rough seas!

You can read more about the Other Hoppo here: http://www.ten.com.au/ten/2676.html