Thai Cave Rescue

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. S. G. Wade:

That this council—

1. Celebrates the successful cave rescue of 12 boys and their football coach trapped in the Tham Luang Cave in Chaing Rai province, Thailand;

2. Mourns the death of Saman Gunan, one of the Thai members of the international rescue team;

3. Acknowledges the key role played by Adelaide-based anaesthetist and MedSTAR doctor, Dr Richard Harris;

4. Acknowledges the contribution of the Australian contingent involved in the Thai-led rescue effort;

5. Acknowledges the leadership and professionalism of the Thai government and the Thai Navy SEALs in effecting the rescue;

6. Acknowledges the involvement and support of the international community, including support divers from the European Union, the United States, and China, and participants from military and civilian organisations in various support roles;

7. Recognises South Australia's proud tradition of providing emergency assistance in response to catastrophic events, such as AUSMAT team member deployments to the Philippines in 2013 in response to Typhoon Haiyan, to Banda Aceh in 2004 in response to the Boxing Day tsunami and to Bali following the bombings in 2002 and 2005; and

8. Pays tribute to the courage and dedication of South Australian health professionals in so many diverse contexts.

(Continued from 25 July 2018.)

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (16:45): I rise to speak in absolute support of this motion moved by the Hon. Stephen Wade. They say that you can measure a man's integrity by his conduct not his profession. In Dr Richard Harris's case, it can be measured by both. A virtual unknown to the broader community prior to his lead role in the rescue of the 12 young soccer players and their coach during the Thai cave rescue, what we have learnt since is the stuff of legends, a best-selling novel or a blockbuster movie at the very least.

Known for being an unassuming and selfless individual, Harry, as he is affectionately known, has dedicated his life to saving others. This, of course, is due in part to his profession as an anaesthetist but also because of his elite skills as an experienced cave diver. Combine the two and you have a person with a unique and specific set of skills that are in high demand whenever the need arises.

It is understood that Dr Harris had previously participated in several difficult retrievals, including the recovery of the body of a friend, Melbourne diver Agnes Milowka, from Tank Cave near Mount Gambier in 2011, all while trying to avoid media attention. That all changed in July this year, when the world's media became mesmerised by the fate of a group of 12 young school boys and their soccer coach stranded deep in a flooded cave in Thailand and their attempted rescue.

Testament to his rare set of skills was that the British, known as the best cave divers in the world, wanted Dr Harris on the ground in Thailand to help with the rescue. He was about to embark on a cave holiday on South Australia's Nullarbor Plain, but did not hesitate to drop everything to join the international rescue attempt.

It has since been revealed that, on arrival and upon analysing the challenge that lay ahead, Dr Harris had initial doubts about getting the boys out alive. Again, testament to his unique set of skills and that of other rescuers is the fact that all the boys and their coach came out alive. It was a stunning rescue that defied all the odds, and it is totally appropriate that Dr Harris has since received justified recognition for his role in that rescue, including being awarded South Australian of the Year.

To me, there would be no worthier recipient of Australian of the Year, which will be announced in January, than Dr Harris. On behalf of the entire SA-Best team, I wish him the very best of luck when that announcement is made on Australia Day. And to our other nominees: native title advocate, Reginald Dodd, who is the Senior South Australian of the Year; Elini Glouftsis, Young South Australian of the Year, who has been acknowledged as the AFL's first female field umpire; and SA Local Hero, Megan McLoughlin.

I would also like to take the opportunity, with this motion, to recognise the efforts of world-renowned Adelaide plastic surgeon Dr John Greenwood, who flew to Greece in July to treat burns victims of the Mati forest fires with a skin repair technology developed in Australia. Dr Greenwood is the director of the adult burns unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and in 2016 was awarded the South Australian of the Year award for his world-leading work in burns treatment. In Greece, Dr Greenwood assisted surgeons treat the 10 most severely burned patients from the Mati forest fires using a biodegradable skin graft substitution called NovoSorb, which he pioneered with the CSIRO following the Bali bombings in 2002.

Dr Greenwood took 25 sheets of NovoSorb with him to help in the recovery of those burns victims and had to obtain special exemptions for its use as it is not yet approved for use in Greece. NovoSorb is unique because it works better than skin grafts with less risk of infection. It is easier to use and creates softer and less scarred skin after surgery. It is a stand-out example of brilliant Australian-led innovation and expertise.

Following the forest fires, the Australian Greek community set up the Greek Fire Appeal 2018 to raise much-needed funds for the victims of the fire. Together with a $100,000 donation from the South Australian government, a total of $222,931.23 was raised by the statewide appeal. This was an outstanding effort by the South Australian community as well as various Hellenic, Cypriot and community groups in general who spent countless hours raising funds for the appeal. Of that total, an amount of $82,308 has been used to pay for specialised medical equipment, which has been donated to the burns unit of Thriasio General Hospital of Elefsina in Athens to allow the hospital to continue treating burns victims of the fires, and where the equipment will continue to be a valued resource for the hospital. With those words, I commend this motion.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.J. Stephens.