In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Simon Megaw from Northern Ireland. With over 25 years in search-and-rescue, Megaw has loads of experience as both a team member and a team leader. He is qualified in swift water rescue and rope rescue, plus he is a full-time firefighter.

At a young age, Megaw became interested in search-and-rescue after his sailboat flipped over and he was rescued. From there, he got into working with power boats and volunteered with the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI). 

His first memorable rescue was a woman hit in the head by the boom of a sailboat and knocked into the water. She sustained a significant head injury, and to get her into the rescue boat they had to deflate one of the sponsons and float her onto it.

Another high-profile rescue that stands out to Megaw is when a young boy fell into the water. They searched for him for three and a half weeks. From that event, Megaw connected with a couple other guys and they created their own rescue team in Belfast. 

Megaw recalls a rescue as a young firefighter. A girl was trapped waist-deep in the mud at low tide. Someone asked if he could use items they had in the truck to make the rescue. His response was, “yes!” We had an opportunity to debrief this scenario a bit further after the story, too.

Next, when Megaw was teaching a class, one of his students had what seemed to be an allergic reaction. After two EpiPens and a call for a helicopter evacuation, they were able to get her to hospital. They later found out she was diagnosed with pleurisy. His last story is about the biggest fire job he has ever been called to: A huge, six-storey building engulfed in flames in downtown Belfast. Enjoy! 

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