Bondi Rescue

- Season 9

(2012)

The new season starts well with a sunny period, actually too crowded and too long, so the lifeguards are flat out all day, and can't actually enjoy their well-deserved recreation even after their official end of shift as people stubbornly remaining in the water risk drowning. Maxi, finally made pro, musters his courage to check-out 'shark-alerts', causing panic when sounded by impatient surf club amateurs, luckily found to be just ray-fish or, when Reidy swims to the largest one, 'meercat'.

It's a sunny Christmas, so all life-guards rescue non-stop. Deano's ma brings him a picnic on the beach, but he barely has time for a bite. Some tourists are utterly helpless, like a lost Korean boy whom even Harris can't calm down. Others are brave, like an English surfer without medical insurance whom no strong painkiller may be given and still sets his broken finger. Yates enjoys his Santa on jet-ski part. A homeless men fell, broke several ribs but didn't cry out until found.

It's New Year's Eve, so the beach is full, yet all (young) eyes are on Hollywood visitor Paris Hilton, even from her life-guards escort, novice Dunstan and even former soap star Whippet, who for once seems speechless. After a short silence to admire the first sunrise, the rescue team is flat-out again, due to the huge crowd and lots of drunks, mostly friendly -nobody even takes offense at a festive streaker- but still a potential danger, at least to themselves. Deano's boys can't enforce the legal alcohol ban and rarely call in the equally overworked police, once one ...

The lifeguards are used to handle lost kids and everybody usually forgets about the ban n animals, but now Harries finds a bothersome stray dog quite testing. Maxi, Beardy and Dunstan concentrate on making best use of security cameras to handle theft suspects and Deano's boys call the police also when complaints report a 'peeping Tom playing with himself on the beach'.

Now he finally has a first contract, Maxi, realizing his dream of of becoming the youngest life guard, aspires staying even older then H. He also decides, at 19, to move out of home, into the surf-club where Corey lives as caretaker, getting the keys while his new mentor is abroad for months. Doubts are justified, as his first day on the new Rhino beach vehicle already fulfilled his accident-prone curse.

As every year, lifeguards had to secure a sought-after place in the Bondi team trough rigid tests, even the professionals. Two extremely athletic newcomers join the crew, Afrile Young (nicknamed 'Bacon' because he physically resembles Hollywood star Kevin) and Troy 'Gonzo' Quinlan. Corey needs to provide extra psychological support to the last, who soon faces the traumatic experience of a missing man who, despite braving sharks, is only found as a drowned corpse.

As if the lifeguards hadn't enough work with actual rescues, many swimmers ignore safety instructions, one even floats face-down and wears a life guard vest. Maxi handles most with kindness and charm, some barely respond to H's near-rude explicit style. Alas danger looms even on the beach, as for a skater boy aged ten whose fall causes a bad head wound.

As life guards must train to stay in mint condition all season, it's no surprise the Bondi boys traditionally about all take part in an annual Iron Man charity event, where each has his benchmark, such as proving seniors aren't over the hill, that young dogs are ripe or simply win a rivalry. Novices Maxi and Bacon, who accepted a bet to participate in full clothing, are in the lead with ever-excellent Whippet, but old dog Hoppo keeps up commendably. Ready is satisfied to beat Chapman, a first, Beardy to escape last place and hence a year of latrine cleaning, Ben ...

Sometimes tourists' courage is great, like a surfer who keeps laughing when Deano must bandage his battered face with broken nose like a mummy, but when an Indian gets caught by the currant during a soccer ball game, five mates in turn attempting to come to the rescue all become needy until Ready and Yates arrive. Bondi must be cleared when a shark, jumping to a seagull too close, is spotted by surfers. Ready checks the nets, which limited attacks and prevented fatalities for 80 years. Later a shark circling a salmon school within the nets is spotted from the air, but...

Another bluebottle invasion comes and goes with the wind, braved despite warnings by the ignorant and the 'tough'. . Novices Maxi and Dunstan, who finish a season-long internship, wait for Hoppo's verdict- Dunstan is hired, Maxi gets another intern season, with the winners of an 'academy' started p with nine youngsters. After more successful rescues, in one case aided by a helicopter to spot a long-missing swimmer, the team looks back at a most satisfactory season.