Peter Davidson

Peter Davidson is a humble man but a remarkable Australian.

For over 16 years he has been employed by the RAV (Rural Ambulance Victoria). For 12 of those years, he has been working on “Helimed One” the Victorian Air Ambulance Rescue Helicopter. Peter is a qualified Air Ambulance M.I.C.A., Flight Paramedic and Team Leader

In his presentation Peter talks about “Helimed One” the Ambulance Rescue Helicopter and the role he personally played in the 98/99 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, where he rescued 8 men from the stricken vessel “Standaside” in the midst of some of the worst conditions in sailing history. It was described by many of the survivors and rescuers as a Hurricane. The event itself is one of the worst Maritime disasters in Australian history.

On December 26th 1998, 114 Yachts left Sydney harbour - only 44 finished. Of the remaining vessels, 12 yachts were abandoned, 5 yachts sank, 6 men lost their lives and over 50 yachtsmen had to be winched to safety.

Peter share’s his incredible story of how he himself almost lost his life twice in the rescue . This is a powerful story that explores themes like adapting to change and your environment, leadership, the importance of preparation, training, planning, systems and teamwork .