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H2O-Full ThrottleMale Offline

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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 09 2009,1:45 am Post # 1 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

As some of you will know I am also very much involved with Jetsprinting here downunder. Well yesterday we lost one of our jetsprint fraternity in the Australian bushfires, killed when he was trying to escape from the fires and saving his beloved boat, leaving behind a wife and family. Steve is just one of over 100 people killed so far in the fires and they are not finished yet, not by a long shot. Phil Dixon, my partner in the True Blue jetsprint team lost all his property but his house and family were spared, which we are thankful for.

We are starting a fund raising venture to help all those who werent so lucky. Every subscription that comes in for any of my magazines including H2O Full Throttle is going to the bush fire appeal so I would like to ask you all to consider subscribing to the magazine, either for yourself or your friends, or both. Our goal is to raise $100,000 so anything you can do is appreciated. Please also pass this around to everyone else you know and I thank you for your help, the bushfires are not finished on their path of destruction by a long way. Here are the links to the three mags.

H2O Full Throttle - https://www.h2ofullthrottle.com/subscribe.php

HeliOps - https://www.heliopsmag.com/subscribe.html

HeliTac - https://www.helitacmag.com/subscribe.html

Thanks again everyone and here is the news item about Steve. His boat was called Scream and was a work of art.
------------------------------------------------------

Article from: Herald Sun


February 08, 2009 12:00am

A SPEEDBOAT champion who died trying to save his boat is among at least five killed in fires that raged through Wandong and Clombinane.

Steve Lackas, a veteran of the V8 Superboat Championships, was attempting to tow his boat to safety when his property became engulfed in flames on Saturday afternoon.

His home was one of scores of properties destroyed around Kilmore, 60km north of Melbourne.

Michael Hendy had the heart-wrenching task of retrieving Mr Lackas' body with other local residents after the fire passed through.

"It was terrible," he said.

"He had made a phone call to a friend of mine to say that he needed help, and by the time he got there, the house was engulfed in flames. We arrived after that."

It is believed Mr Lackas was married with one child.

Mr Hendy said Mr Lackas had been preparing to leave in a bus, towing his boat, before running back into his house at the last minute to get another belonging.

"The bus was still running (when Mr Lackas was found) but he hasn't managed to get outside again," he said.

"The tragedy is that the bus and the shed were untouched, but the house that he ran into was burnt out."
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GoFastRacerMale Offline
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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 09 2009,4:54 am Post # 2 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

So sorry to hear, been watching this on the news very sad indeed!.. :(
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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 09 2009,6:32 am Post # 3 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

Yes Very sad indeed, My condolences to all the families that have lost their loved ones. :grouphug  :( I will Do what I can to help out!


Injected is nice, But I'd rather be Blown 
         
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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 09 2009,7:25 am Post # 4 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

Yes. Very sad. Prayers for all affected.  :grouphug


"It seemed like a hell of an idea at the time".
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H2O-Full ThrottleMale Offline

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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 09 2009,12:48 pm Post # 5 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

Death toll is now up to 168 and expected to go over 200 within the next couple of days and fires are still burning.
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GoFastRacerMale Offline
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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 10 2009,5:24 am Post # 6 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

This is bad!... :(

http://www.nytimes.com/2009....f=world
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H2O-Full ThrottleMale Offline

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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 10 2009,12:00 pm Post # 7 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

The scary part is that there may be a bit of a lull in the weather now but was talking to the Air Ops Desk in Victoria yesterday and in about two weeks there is a weather system coming through which is worse than what has been seen recently and they are expecting the fires to be bigger and worse than these ones.
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Post Icon Posted: Feb. 10 2009,2:47 pm Post # 8 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

I am so very sorry for the loss of your friend, and for all those dealing with this horrific disaster.  I hold a special place in my heart of Australia and its citizens, it has been very hard to hear the reports from my friends who live there.  I have one friend whose family is dealing with the fires in Victoria and New South Wales as well as the floods in Queensland.  So many of us here in the US can relate to all that is going on.  I made a donation to the Australian Red Cross for the bushfire victims..it wasn't much but I know it will help.  It was the least I could do for a country that gave me the experience of a lifetime.  Love and prayers to all of Oz.


"This is for all the friends I've known, this is for all the ones who've never left me alone. This is for all the ones I've lost along the way...thanks for being a part of today."
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Dyce51Male Offline
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no boat right now
Post Icon Posted: Feb. 13 2009,8:40 am Post # 9 see this member send this member a private message  quote this post in reply

Man.... my condolences....I am getting the impression that the Government over there believe they were intentially set??

Very sad to see


if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all
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