Bulldogs Duo Rescue Woman

by Johnson Leung reporting for AFANA in Melbourne

Western Bulldogs players Tom Williams and Daniel Cross have been praised by their club for saving the life of a drowning woman in Hong Kong. 24-year-old Cross and 21-year-old Williams were standing on the harborfront dock in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island when they saw a woman climb over railings at about 6.50pm local time on October 4. The two players initially threw a life-ring to the woman, but when she refused to hold it, they dived in and swam about 200 meters and dragged her out of the water. Both received minor bruising and cuts as they struggled with the woman up the steps connecting the dock to the water.

A 17-year-old Filipino teenager was taken to the nearby Ruttonjee Hospital where she was in a stable condition. She had apparently argued with her boyfriend on her cell phone.

"We were standing at the harbor about to go on a boat trip," Williams told the Herald Sun newspaper from HK. "We saw someone jump into the water and thought it was probably just a fisherman cause we had seen quite a few of them down by the water but then suddenly realized that someone was drowning because people around us had started to take notice."

Williams mischeiviously told the club the pair had to swim 10km and fight off two sharks to get the woman out, before laughing and admitting; "It was only 200m - the boys are telling me to make it sound even more impressive." He said as soon as they got to shore the local dealt with the woman and they went back to the hotel to shower. They joined the junk trip later before going on to the nightlife district of Lan Kwai Fong.

Hong Kong resident David Price, a long-time supporter and sponsor of the Bulldogs, was leading the players along the waterfront for a junk trip when he heard some of them cry out. "Two of the boys jumped into the water - Daniel first and then Tom - and they pulled her out. They saved her life," he said.

Price, a bloodstock agent from Melbourne who brought racehorse Silent Witness to Hong Kong, said the woman remonstrated and struggled with the two players as they tried to save her. "She was saying she didn't want to be saved. For them to go into the water, with no idea what they were jumping into, is amazing," he said.

Bulldogs spokeswoman Stacey Mair, who spoke to Williams minutes after the rescue, said Cross and Williams did not require treatment for their injuries and were in good spirits after the incident. "(The players) didn't realize that the woman was trying to commit suicide, they just thought that a fisherman or somebody else had jumped into the water," Mair said. "They had vaguely seen someone dive in but hadn't been paying attention because it was a busy place. But when they heard other people say that someone was drowning, that's when they leapt in." Cross lost his wallet and cell phone during the rescue but Mair said Telstra had phoned the club offering the player a free replacement.

Bulldogs CEO Campbell Rose said he was extremely proud of the players involved. Club coach Rodney Eade said the players had demonstrated the sort of bravery previously shown on the football field, labeling them "very courageous boys." Eade lauded "the fact that instantaneously they've jumped in without a second thought to try to help someone". "I think that goes well as far as saying what our players are like. I think they're really selfless in that area."

Cross was recruited from the Murray Bushrangers in the 2002 AFL National Draft and has played 85 games for the Dogs, including 15 this year. The midfielder made his debut in 2002 and was an AFL Rising Star nominee in 2004.  Williams, a key position player from Morningside, Queensland, made his debut this year and has played 13 games.

A group of about 10 Bulldogs players are in Hong Kong on an unofficial end-of-season trip. They left the day after the club's best and fairest count and were due back in Melbourne on October 6.

Sources: Herald Sun, Melbourne Age, South China Morning Post