Sydney, Australia–“I knew Sean was dead because Sean would never leave Louis”–Gemma Hurditch
Stories where fathers risk or sacrifice their lives to save their children are common, and serve as a testament to the loving bonds dads share with their kids. In the story Boy, 5, saw brave father drown (Sydney Morning Herald, 7/8/08), hero father Sean Staunton saved the life of his five-year-old son Louis after their boat capsized during a fishing trip.
One notable thing about this story is that it involved a separated father who shared custody with his ex. Gemma Hurditch recognized that Sean was a good father and respected his relationship with their son.
According to the newspaper report, Hurditch said she had a gut feeling her former partner was dead when news of the boating accident broke on Thursday. She explained:
“I knew as soon as I heard that they had found the body of a young boy. I knew if it was Louis, and I had a sense of dread that it was, that Sean was dead because Sean would never leave Louis. I knew he was gone…[Louis] was on Sean like a surfboard to keep him out of the water, to try to keep him warmer. I am really proud of Sean. He did everything he could to save Louis and Louis has been saved.”
“I am grateful that things turned out the best we could have hoped for regarding Louis but I’m really sad that his dad’s not around. Louis’ dad was an exceptional father and always took him outdoors hiking, fishing and snorkeling, they had such fun outdoors. I hope Louis will carry the memories that Sean was such a supportive and playful dad. Sean was kind, generous and good for the sake of being good, you would not meet a person with a more generous and loving spirit.”
Read the full article here.
Other heroic dads we’ve covered include Steve Whissell, Joseph Richardson, Albert Collins, Eduard Burceag, Robert N. ‘Bobby’ Klein and James Kim.