A blog about a man called Peter

I can’t help it, I’m inspired. I’m so inspired that I’m going to write a blog that no one will ever see about a man called Peter.

I’m carrying on with my Body Recovery From Water Study, I started it in 2009 and it has many aims, one of which is to reduce the time in which families may have to wait to get their loved ones back when their family members drown in water. I feel so privileged that my bosses are supportive of me continuing the project because it is important to me and I believe in it. I have dedicated it:

“To the people who have been lost, and their families, and to those who have the courage to undertake the difficult task of recovering them”.

I sent a questionnaire out and as word has grown I have had cases sent to me about drowning from all over the place, these cases go on the database and I make sure the data that comes from it is fed back to the people who can make use of it. I got sent a questionnaire from a man called Peter who works in Australia some time back, we had an email exchange and I added the sad case that he sent me to the database. Peter is a volunteer rescue diver and works on cases where people go missing in the river in his area in New South Wales. As I add all the cases to the spreadsheet I always try to appreciate the loss of the person who drowned and respect the search operatives and investigation teams who have dealt with the sad case.

This morning I was at my work computer when an email from Peter popped up, he must have been thinking of turning in for the night because it was about 10.30PM in Australia, he sent me a link for a water safety initiative that he had been involved in in his area and told me that if it could reduce the drowning cases even by one it would mean such a lot to ‘this old diver’ (as he phrased it). There were video testimonials on the website so I got to see what Peter looked like and what amazing work he did with his mate Stu and other colleagues and community members. I’ve never met Peter but I like him and respect him and I can relate to him. I feel his sorrow for the people that he has recovered from his local river. I’m inspired, because there are loads of Peters out there and we are joined in a cause that I believe in. One of the great things about the Study is that I get to be in contact with these people and I know there are so many out there I may never know and many that I have never met but somehow I feel that despite this they are my friends and we all share a common purpose.

So there, I have written it: Camaraderie, common purpose, sharing the will to do good and to reduce suffering with people who are strangers has made me want to write a blog and it all started with inspiration resulting from an early morning email exchange with a man called Peter.