North Bondi and Newport SLSC lifesaver, Charlie Verco, says he’s “never been more grateful to be a part of Surf Life Saving” after his actions during a shark incident at Coogee where he was able to bring a woman who had been bitten back to shore.
Charlie – an elite iron man who finished second on the professional Series this past season – was paddling his long board through Coogee while training for the Molokai 2 Oahu Paddleboard World Championships at the end of July when he witnessed a young woman encounter a shark just after 11am on Saturday 13 June.
The 25-year-old sprung to action, immediately signalling to alert the Council lifeguards back on the beach and paddling towards danger to render assistance.
“The only thing I was frightened of in that moment was the shark,” Charlie recalled.
“I wasn’t concerned about my ability to manage her injuries, I wasn’t concerned about my skills and competence to bring her back to shore on the board – which is almost double the size of a rescue board, with a rudder.
“There were pros and cons of being on that board, sure it’s not a rescue board, maybe not as agile, but at that time I definitely preferred being on as big a board as possible.”
What shouldn’t be taken lightly is the challenge Charlie was faced with in bringing his board back to shore under the circumstances – once he helped the victim grab hold of his drink cage on the craft, Charlie managed to paddle in backwards in a feat of athleticism and poise that belied the gravity of the situation.
He received assistance from the Coogee SLSC president Ben Heenan who had paddled out on a rescue board to help.
Now, having had time to comprehend the rescue and the situation that brought it about, he can acknowledge and work through the competing emotions he managed in real time.
“I feel like a lot of blokes look at this scenario on the news and think they’d have jumped into the water, swam out, punched the shark and saved everyone, but when it happened in real life you don’t quite think that way,” Charlie said.
“I had to negotiate my own fears as well as different risk factors, and once I felt it was a safe enough situation for me, I did everything I could to help.
“I’m so grateful for the training of Surf Life Saving, it’s gotten me to think about emergency situations, it’s trained me in first aid, it’s made me competent in the water, and it fostered my love for the ocean that meant I was even out there in the first place.
“That was what allowed me to at least be in a situation that meant I could bring her back to shore.”
Charlie has been involved in Surf Life Saving since he was six and now splits his time between North Bondi SLSC – where he patrols – and his competitive commitments for the powerhouse Sydney Northern Beaches club, Newport SLSC.
He credits his surf sports career as a factor in his continued and deep-rooted love for the movement, noting it has “motivated him to stay proficient” and has taught him valuable skills complementary to his lifesaving training.
“I’ve been fortunate to get to a high level in surf sports, and I’ve worked through major challenges in sport because things can upset you. Being at that level, I’ve been able to learn to regulate my emotions and see the difference between being very excited and very scared,” he said.
“What that does is takes that fight or flight situation, and in the shark incident all I wanted to do was flight, but you take a second and think about what the rational way to react in this moment is.
“People have been reaching out and checking how I am, which I’m really grateful for, and the hardest part has been telling them that I’m fine. It’s a significant scenario, but the reactions I’mhaving, I’m confident they’re the ones I’m supposed to be having, and I know it all will pass.”
Charlie wasn’t the only volunteer surf lifesaver who became a first responder that morning and he is grateful that Ben Heenan from Coogee was also on site and rendered critical assistancealongside other off-duty emergency service professionals back on shore.
It’s a story that repeats itself over and over again – volunteers acting outside of hours, out-of-season, for the benefit of their communities.
It’s one of the movement’s greatest assets – the dedication and passion of its people.
“Surf Life Saving fosters a love for the ocean in so many people, and that meant on this particular day, in the middle of June when there’s no volunteer patrols, there were so many lifesavers down at the beach anyway, because they wanted to be, and they have that crucial training and they’re ready to act when required,” he said.
“I’ve never been more grateful to be a part of Surf Life Saving. This was a devastating incident but I consider myself fortunate to have the skills in the surf and the background in lifesaving that gave me the state of mind that I was capable of staying there and helping.”
Wednesday 17 June 2026