A tale of two lucky surfers

By Phil Jarratt

The Friday before Easter started out much like any other day for Noosa surfing retiree Bill McLelland, 67. But by the end of it he would have died, been revived, been airlifted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital and fitted out with a life-saving internal defibrillator.

The lifelong surfer, originally from Merewether Beach in Newcastle, funded a dream Noosa retirement by building up the Hunter region’s biggest and most successful milk run over 30 years, but it very nearly turned into a nightmare for partner Shari. “I cut it pretty bloody fine,” Bill said over a coffee this week. “Without the defib station at the beach I wouldn’t be here.”

Bill could so easily have joined the 30,000…