Everything to Live For: The Inspirational Story of Turia Pitt (25 page)

15
   Inquiry Report, pp. 86, 87.

16
   Andrew Baker, volunteer, Police Statement, 17 September, 2011, p. 2; Hal Benson, competitor, Police Statement, 7 September, 2011, p. 2; Bradley Bull, competitor, Police Statement, 12 September, 2011, p. 2; Lon Croot, volunteer, Police Statement, 5 September, 2011, p. 2; Ellis Caffin, competitor, Police Statement, 7 September, 2011, p. 2; Michael Hull, competitor, Police Statement, 8 September 2011, p. 3; Turia Pitt, competitor, transcript of evidence, 30 April, 2012, p. 15, Kate Sanderson, competitor, transcript of evidence, 30 April, 2012, p. 14; Heather Scott, competitor, Police Statement, 6 September, 2011, p. 1; Shaun Van der Merwe, competitor, transcript of evidence, 30 April, 2012, p. 14; Inquiry Report pp. 14, 15, 64, 65.

Chapter Seven: Miscommunications

1
   Inquiry Report, pp. 219–21.

2
   Inquiry Report, pp. viii, xxi, 222.

3
   Inquiry Report, pp. 94–95.

4
   Inquiry Report, p. 95.

5
   Ibid.

6
   Inquiry Report, pp. ii–iii, 56–57, 63.

7
   Inquiry Report, p. 93.

8
   Inquiry Report, p. 97.

Chapter Eight: Rescue

1
   Paul Cripps Police Statement, 5 September 2011.

2
   Inquiry Report pp. 100–101.

3
   Transcript courtesy Heliworks WA.

Chapter Seventeen: The Ripple Effect

1
   Transcript of Evidence, 24/2/2012.

2
   Heather Scott, Statement to Police, 6/9/11.

Chapter Eighteen: Holding Responsibility

1
   Inquiry report, p. 4.

2
   Ibid.

3
   See Inquiry Report, pp. 47–49.

4
   
Hansard 21 February 2011
.

5
   Ibid.

6
   Ibid.

7
   Ibid.

8
   Inquiry Report, p. i.

9
   Inquiry Report, p, 156.

10
   Ibid.

11
   Transcript of evidence, 02/05/2012, pp. 3, 5.

12
   Transcript of evidence, 02/05/2012, p. 11.

13
   Transcript of evidence, 02/05/2012, p. 17.

14
   Ibid.

15
   Ibid.

16
   ‘Kimberley race founder Mary Gadams denies liability for burned competitors’, Lisa MacNamara,
The Australian
, 16 August 2012.

17
   Ibid.

18
   Ibid.

19
   Inquiry Report pages 14, 15.

20
   Transcript of Evidence, 24/2/2012.

21
   Inquiry Report, pp. xiii–iv.

22
   Inquiry Report, p. xiii.

23
   Ibid.

24
   Inquiry Report, p. xiv.

25
   Ibid.

26
   Ibid.

27
   Inquiry Report, p. xv.

28
   Ibid.

29
   Inquiry Report, p. 155.

30
   Ibid.

31
   Inquiry Report, p. 159.

32
   Inquiry Report, pp. 159–60.

33
   Inquiry Report, p. 160.

34
   Report Inquiry p. 167.

35
   Report Inquiry p. 166.

36
   Report Inquiry p. 165.

37
   Report Inquiry pp. 166–66.

38
   Report Inquiry p. 166.

39
   Inquiry Report, pp vii–x, xxii.

40
   Inquiry Report, p. 217.

41
   Report Inquiry, pp. vii–viii.

42
   Inquiry Report, p. viii.

43
   Inquiry Report, p. xiv.

44
   Inquiry, Index to Evidence.

45
   Inquiry Report, pp xviii–xxiv.

46
   ‘Kimberley fire victims to get $450,000 each’, Courtney Trenwith,
The Sydney Morning Herald
, 14/11/12.

About Skin Donation

1
   Statistics from DonateLife.

The authors and publisher are grateful to the following individuals for permission to use their photographs:

Kristen Briggs: friends in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Karisa McCauley: masquerade ball.

Natalie Osmetti/St John’s Ambulance: Tier Gorge.

All other photographs courtesy Pitt family.

There are so many people to thank, so I’ll start with everyone who was involved in my initial survival. The boys from Newcrest – Trent Breen, Brad Bull and Wade Dixon. Sarel de Koker and Bonny Rugendyke for treating me as best they could on the scene. Paul Cripps, the extraordinary helicopter pilot. The entire team at the Darwin Hospital. My fellow runners who were caught in the fire: Hal Benson, Michael Hull, Kate Sanderson and Shaun and Martin Van de Merwe. We are all survivors.

I’d also like to thank everyone at the Concord Repatriation General Hospital: my incredibly skilled surgeons, Professor Peter Haertsch and Professor Peter Maitz. Superlatives are not enough to describe you. Despite the pain they inflicted, my physiotherapists Frank Li, Lexie Barwick and Orla McDonnell. My innovative occupational therapists, Cheree Walker and Jessica Allchin. My favourite anaesthetist, Kar-Soon Lim. The two handsome burns registrars – Dr James and Dr Sam. The three empathetic clinical nurses – Rae Johnson, Tom Leuong and Sue Taggart. The entire nursing staff, including Penny Gutierrez, Naresh Kar, Jiggy Kiriya, Susan Lian, Melissa Meadows, Tama Miller, Chris Parker and James Scott.

There are so many positive things that happened after the fire. I’d like to thank Michael Usher, for telling my story the way I wanted it to be told. The delightful Ali Smith, a wonderful producer who has also become a close mate. Slabber van Deventer, Giles Lenz, Mischa Mann and Glenn Roberts – my understanding bosses at Rio Tinto. Greg Walsh, a bulldog of a lawyer who thankfully is in my corner. Ian Sanderson, for his dogged determination for justice. Sophie Ambrose, for initiating this book. And finally, my ghostwriter, Libby Harkness: you have done such a brilliant job. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in my rehabilitation in Ulladulla: My physiotherapist, Janine Austen, for being there since the beginning. My personal trainer, Emily Bingham, for pushing me when I need it. My general practitioner, Herbert Chee, for filling out endless certificates, forms and scripts. My psychologist, Jennifer Clarke, for teaching me how to think rationally. Gym owner Lloyd Egan, for showing me my inner strength. My exercise physiologist, Gregg Orphin, for helping me to get back into the water. My masseuse, Nicola Parnell, for imparting to me the power of relaxation. Finally my yoga instructor, Himani Smeaton – I have come so far under your tutelage.

Thank you to all my fantastic friends: Mary Kavanagh, for always making the effort to see me. Kristen Briggs, for your wicked sense of humour. Nicola Tucker, for helping me stay on top of things and always encouraging me. Shae Clayton, for understanding me despite being ridiculously random. Thanks also to Melanie Basile, Nina Best, Julia Hasche, Kate McKutcheon, Sarah Montefiore and Tess Wilson.

I’d also like to thank my entire extended family: Uncle Insect (Ian Pitt) and Maria Pitt, for letting us use their beach house for extended periods of time. Uncle Westie (Andrew Pitt) and Terri Janke, for their ongoing legal advice and support. Megsie (Margaret Pitt), for her weekly letters and chocolates. Genji and Angela Pitt, for their hospitality. Thanks also to Shay Bogg, Aaron and Rachel Hoskin, Patricia Hooke and Monsieur (Alan Pitt) and Mamie (Viola Vaite).

I’d like to thank Dad (Michael Pitt) for taking charge of all things fitness as well as being so tech-savvy. My younger brothers, Heimanu and Toriki Pitt, for always making me laugh and giving me brotherly cuddles. Shae Hoskin, for being such a beautiful sister-in-law – thank you for the walks, laughs and educated discussions. Julie and Gary Hoskin, for treating me like their own daughter. Words cannot express how grateful I am. Thank you John Maguire, for being Mum’s rock. And finally, to the two people to whom this book is dedicated: Michael Hoskin and Mum (Célestine Vaite). You both have made this journey so much easier. I am blessed to have both of you.

I would like to thank the many people who contributed in some way to the writing of Turia’s story. Involving as it did the input from many different people, it was a difficult story to pull together; everyone had a version of events and while I tried my best to accurately mesh them all together, some things were just unknowable.

First, thanks to Michael Hoskin, Turia’s loving and supportive partner, for putting his pain second in every telling of her journey; Célestine, the third amigo, who wept and laughed in equal measures during our interviews; Heimanu and Toriki for the letters; Genji for his forthrightness; Michael Pitt, who spoke of justice for his golden girl; and Gary and Julie Hoskin for their quiet dignity.

Writing about what happened that day would not have been possible without the input and generous help of the other five who survived with Turia on the ridge: Kate Sanderson, Michael Hull, Hal Benson and Shaun and Martin Van der Merwe, each of whom related their own moving recollections – Shaun above the din at Perth International Airport and Martin via email from Ghana. The Newcrest miners: Bradley Bull, for breaking the silence ‘for Turia’, Wade Dixon and Trent Breen for photos.

The other Kununurra heroes: helicopter pilot Paul Cripps from Heliwork WA, who flew me over the Kimberley region so I could see for myself where it happened; his co-pilot, Bryn Watson, for his ‘patter’; St John’s paramedic Sarel De Koker, who gave me a vivid description of the rescue; and helicopter pilot Nathan Summers, who gave me details by phone from a remote region in Western Australia.

Race event volunteers Lon Croot and Scott Connell, and competitors Ellis Caffin, Heather Scott and Rod Rutherford, each of whom relived their nightmares of that day for me.
The Kimberley Echo
in Kununurra, which allowed me to rummage around their back issues. The Kimberleyland Holiday Park, which gave me a cute cabin overlooking the lake to stay in while I was in Kununurra. Natalie Osmetti for photos of the helicopter rescue.

Michelle Foster at the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre at Royal Darwin Hospital, who put me in touch with those who treated Turia and Kate in Darwin – Mr Shiby Ninan, Dr Gabrielle Weidmann, critical care nurse Belinda Nolan, and Dr Steven Hudson, who spoke to me from New Zealand – all of whom remembered clearly the events of the day Turia and the others were admitted.

Turia’s surgeons at Sydney’s Concord Hospital, Professor Peter Maitz and Professor Peter Haertsch, who gave me hours of their valuable time; Janine Austen for the physiotherapy (mine and Turia’s); Kristen Briggs for the insights into Turia’s life before the fire; Ali Smith from
60 Minutes
, who shared her material, and Michael Usher for his foreword; Greg Walsh, who cast his legal eye over the manuscript.

Thanks to Sophie Ambrose (at Random House) for introducing me to Turia, who although still fragile, was enthusiastic to tell her story. I also want to thank my marathon-runner friend Michael Brosnan, who, when I said I was worried about finding time to write this book replied: ‘You have to find time; you must write Turia’s story.’ And my editor, Anne Reilly, who asked the right questions. A special thanks to Ian Sanderson, without whose dogged efforts the Western Australian Government Inquiry into the 2011 Ultramarathon would not have happened and who shared with me information I could not have got elsewhere. I am also grateful to Ian and Maria Pitt, who let me live in their peaceful Ulladulla beach house while I wrote.

And last and by no means least, I want to thank Turia for allowing me to write her story and putting me straight about the sort of book she wanted at our first meeting when she said, ‘I don’t want a boring book.’

Turia Pitt has a double degree in Mining Engineering and Science. She worked as a model before landing her dream job with Rio Tinto at their prestigious Argyle Diamond Mine and moving to Kununurra with her partner, Michael. Their lives were turned upside down when she was trapped by a grassfire in a 100-kilometre ultramarathon in September 2011, and suffered burns to sixty-five per cent of her body.

For now, she is living in her hometown of Ulladulla, surrounded by friends and family. She spends her time at physiotherapy, the gym, and is studying for her Masters.

www.turiapitt.com

www.twitter.com/PittTuria

Libby Harkness is a non-fiction writer and published author of many books. Her published works include a number of ‘firsts’. The acclaimed
Looking for Lisa
(Random House 1991) was the first book internationally on adoption reunions between biological mothers and their relinquished children; her book
Skin Deep
(Random House 1994) was the first in-depth look at the plastic/cosmetic surgery industry to be published in Australia and Canada.