Latest news with #GreatSouthern
Perth Now
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
‘This was crazy': WA man caught up in eye of freak tornado
A Great Southern man who was caught in the eye of a freak tornado and thrown 30m into a fence on a Frankland River farm on Tuesday said he is grateful he's 'still standing up'. Darcy Clode was putting up steel posts for fencing on the crop and sheep farm about 12.30pm when he saw the 'cockeyed bob' ripping up trees as it moved towards him. The fencing contractor sheltered inside his ute with his dog, who was asleep in the back seat, until he felt the back end of the vehicle lifting up off the ground. Mr Clode's dog was sleeping the back seat of the ute when the tornado came through. Credit: Melissa Sheil 'I thought I better get out of there and make way so as I got out of my ute it picked up and I tried to scurry away a bit but by then it had knocked me into the ground,' he said. 'I could see the tractor and thought 'oh next thing the tractor's coming down on top of me' but before you know it, I was flat on the deck and thrown into the fence and it was all over. 'I couldn't really see much since there was a lot of dirt flying around, and it was sort of natural instinct to hit the ground, cover your head, protect yourself from major injuries but there wasn't really much I could do with that much force. 'You're sort of pushed against the fence and held there.' Mr Clode was taken to hospital and treated for leg wounds. Credit: Melissa Sheil Mr Clode was taken to Albany Health Campus for treatment for a deep cut and scrapes on his leg, but it was his machinery that took the real beating. The cabin roof of his HiLux work ute caved in after it flipped over with its attached trailer, and his tractor had its windows blown out and roof torn off. Lasting about five minutes, the tornado began at the north-west corner of the farm and moved down to the south-east corner at what property owner Nathan Waterman believed to be speeds of about 250km/h. 'I think we've had these cockeyed bobs before in other areas, but, yeah, nothing like this, this was crazy,' he said. Mr Waterman said Mr Clode was completely covered in dirt and mud when he arrived. Credit: Melissa Sheil 'We just thought it was Armageddon when we got here, we couldn't believe what we were looking at. We didn't know what we were looking at, actually.' He said his property suffered some 'extensive damage' with fences and trees torn out, but his crops and livestock fortunately got out relatively unscathed. 'The sheep haven't moved from the top of the paddock, I think they're as far away from the tornado as you could possibly get,' Mr Waterman said. Mr Clode said the extreme machinery damage is tough on a small business. Credit: Melissa Sheil A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson confirmed the event to be a tornado and said that WA has an average of five tornadoes during the cool season. Mr Clode, who was back at work on Wednesday, said he's grateful to 'still be standing' but it's 'not something you'd want to endure every day'. 'Yeah, it wasn't on my bucket list of things to go through but it's a good one for the grandkids,' he said. The strong winds flipped the ute and a trailer. Credit: Nathan Waterman The roof of the ute caved in when it was flipped. Credit: Melissa Sheil
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Albany State Emergency Service volunteer Ben Whittle takes out Great Southern Volunteer of the Year Award
Albany SES volunteer Ben Whittle has won the top award at the Great Southern's Volunteer of the Year Awards with a range of community organisations and individuals recognised on the night. The annual awards recognise the work of volunteers across the region in a myriad of capacities, from the Albany Returned Services League to the Cancer Council, and from the emergency services to arts and radio. Mr Whittle, who accepted his Great Southern volunteer of the year award at a ceremony at Albany Entertainment Centre last Thursday, said he was proud to serve his community as an emergency services volunteer. 'It was good to get the acknowledgement more than anything, we're definitely kept busy and we do a hard job sometimes, so it's nice to be nominated and to be recognised by the community,' he said. 'There's always a new challenge and a new adventure with the SES, and I love a challenge, so I've loved my time volunteering with them and I'm planning on sticking around for a fair while yet. 'Volunteering is always an incredibly rewarding way to give back to the community, and there's a role out there for everyone, whether that's with us, we're always after even caterers and communications operators and that sort of thing, or elsewhere, there's so many different volunteer associations out there that there'll be something for everyone to do.' Mr Whittle won the coveted award out of a field of more than 10 nominees, including two other finalists: Cancer Council's Debby Davies and Albany RSL's Stephen Edmonds. The second major award of the night was the volunteer organisation of the year, which was awarded to Albany Historic Whaling Station. Managers Jen Bane and Alice Ackley received the award on the organisation's behalf with Ms Ackley acknowledging all the hard working volunteers in the room on the night and thanking all the organisation's supporters and volunteers. 'We're very honoured to be accepting this award tonight,' she said. 'We have some of our fabulous volunteers here who, each and every day, helped bring the story of our site. 'We offer such a wealth of experience to visitors of all backgrounds, and it's through our volunteers that this experience is just brought to a whole new level. 'Working 365 days a year, we've got a fabulous team that undertake our maintenance, greeting guests, welcoming people to site, looking after our plans and our wildlife, we're just so proud and honoured to have them as part of our team, and just delighted to be here tonight.' The four other nominees were Soroptimist International of Albany, Great Southern FM radio, RSLWA Albany branch and the Albany Over 50s Recreation Association.
West Australian
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
IN PICTURES: Dedication of Great Southern volunteers recognised at annual Volunteer of the Year Awards
The hard work and compassion of the Great Southern's volunteers was brought under the spotlight at the Albany Entertainment Centre on Thursday night with the annual Volunteer of the Year Awards. Albany State Emergency Service volunteer Ben Whittle took home the coveted Volunteer of the Year honour for his work helping residents and visitors to the Great Southern in emergency situations including bushfires, floods and rescues. The Albany Historic Whaling Station won the Volunteer Organisation of the Year award for their dedication to creating a space for volunteers to help keep Albany's whaling heritage alive. The Singability Choir opened the event with songs relating to the theme of volunteering and connecting communities, the audience sang and clapped along. Musical breaks from The Offsiders, and Laurie Smithers kept guests entertained all night between presentations, speeches, and awards. City of Albany mayor Greg Stocks addressed the gathered crowd, recalling times during his stint in local government when he had seen the Great Southern community come together to help or support someone in need. Co-founder of Albany Community Foundation and director of Merrifield Real Estate Jeremy Stewart took the stage as a guest speaker, sharing anecdotes from his time with the foundation. 'Never underestimate the impact you can have simply by showing up... your time and your heart do more good than you know,' he said. City of Albany's Kore Ford also spoke to the group, talking about their experience as a young volunteer.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Inside the harrowing final moments of a young dad swept out to sea in front of his traumatised young family
A shattered widow has described the distressing moment of helplessly watching her husband be swept off rocks into rough seas, never to be seen again. Monitake 'Moni' Karakaua, 29, was fishing at Salmon Holes, near Albany in West Australia's Great Southern region with friends on Anzac Day when tragedy struck. His wife Tongauea and two children had been watching from the shore when he lost his balance and fell from the rocks at the notorious spot into the treacherous surf. It's understood his life jacket failed to inflate and he was unable to located by friends who had jumped into the water with buoys to rescue him. An extensive multi-day search was launched but the Fijian national has never been found. Mr Karakaua had just been reunited with his family in Australia, having moved ahead of them to start a new life in 2020. His family arrived in Katanning just seven months ago. Mr Karakaua and his wife had just celebrated 10th wedding anniversary. 'I had tried to tell him to come back (off the rocks) to the shore,' she told 'I witnessed everything. It's just devastating. 'I was helpless. My heart breaks.' She described her husband as a workaholic, a man of faith and the ultimate family figure. 'No one can replace him, he's an incredible person,' she added. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by family friend Sharon Muir to help ease the financial burden and provide stability to the young family as they rebuild their lives. '[Tongauea] faces an uncertain future and the overwhelming responsibility of raising their children alone,' the page states. 'They are now facing the difficult task of leaving Australia and returning to Fiji where they hope to find emotional support, extended family, and a chance to rebuild their lives.' More than $5,000 has been raised. Salmon Hole is renowned as a dangerous spot for fishing, where more than a dozen people have died or gone missing since the 1980s. In 2021, the state government made it mandatory for fishermen in the area to wear life jackets, following a two year trial. Free lifejackets are available for hire at five locations across Albany. Parks and Wildlife Service WA warned about the dangers of the Salmon Holes just weeks before Mr Karakaua went missing. 'Don't risk it', the post read. 'Rock fishing is extremely dangerous and people have lost their lives from slipping or being washed into the ocean by large waves, gusty winds and slippery surfaces. 'Use the anchor points installed at Salmon Holes and wear a lifejacket, or better still, fish from the beach and keep the sand between your toes!' It's known if the lifejacket worn by Mr Karakaua had been on loan from the the state government.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Friends of the Stidwell Bridle Trail celebrate 25 years of beloved horseriding trail with community event
The Stidwell bridle trail celebrates its 25th anniversary this Sunday, with a free community event planned to commemorate the occasion. Friends of the Stidwell Bridle Trail will host an afternoon celebration and discussion session at Albany Equestrian Centre from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday, open to members of the public interested in learning more about the trail's history and future plans. There will be a free afternoon tea and presentation by the group to provide plans for the safety, environmental concerns, and sustainability of the trail to keep it open to horse riders into the future. The trail first opened in 1999, and has been well-used and beloved since then by local horse riders. It encompasses three circular routes to the south-west of Albany town centre: Robinson Loop, Sandpatch Loop and Werillup Loop, which interconnect near Albany Equestrian Centre. The trail was subject to a local law determination by the City of Albany council in December of 2023 to make parts of the trail only accessible to horses and their riders, prohibiting the use of four-wheel-drive vehicles and motorbikes along the trail. In September of 2024, at the urging of members of the community including the Friends of the Stidwell Bridle Trail group, the trail's restricted access areas were further updated by the council to improve safety for horses and riders. Now, the entirety of the Werillup Loop track, and part of the Sandpatch Loop, are exclusively for use by horses and riders. Friends of the Stidwell Bridle Trail were instrumental in seeing both changes through, with committee members presenting a petition with 842 signatures to the council in 2023 to support the changes to accessibility. The group is volunteer-based and continues to support the upkeep and future of the trail. Friends of the Stidwell Bridle Trail chair Samantha Stevens was also a finalist for the 2024 Mike Stidwell Medal, an accolade honouring outstanding volunteer sporting administrators, and group member Marena Williams was nominated for Great Southern volunteer of the year for 2025.
