Help Julian Get Back Out On The Water

It was June 8, 2019 when my seven-year-old Julian embarked on a fishing trip that would change his life forever. In fact it almost cost him his life. There is nothing in this world Julian loves more than fishing and a Trip out off the coast of Queensland with his father Maike and his dad’s mate Stephen was about as good as it gets. Us three pals enjoyed a great afternoon fishing and then lay down for some well-earned sleep. But overnight a series of freakish events caused Julian’s 5.2 metre Formosa boat to start taking on water. Julian and the two adults on board woke up to water lapping at their feet and just a few terrifying seconds later, the boat had sunk. Julian, Maike and Stephen were stranded at sea, 15 kilometres from the shore, in pitch black, during winter and with nothing to keep them afloat except two plastic buckets. What followed was a remarkable story of courage and survival over seven freezing and desperate hours. Little Julian clung onto his dad all night and refused to give up. His body temperature dropped to a very dangerous 21 degrees and he began to fade. When a rescue helicopter finally found us guys in the middle of the ocean the next morning – things were not looking good. They winched Julian on board the chopper and a paramedic began working on him immediately. Julian was clinically dead for more than three minutes but amazingly paramedic Elliott Bates was able to revive him using CPR on board the chopper. Julian wasn’t out of the woods yet and spent the next day in a coma. As doctors at Queensland Children’s Hospital slowly woke him they feared he would be left with brain damage as a result of his perilous journey. Then a miracle occurred. He was fine. Brave young Julian made a full recovery that shocked medical experts. And even in his hospital bed, his mind turned immediately to fishing. He used a toy rod his father made him to pretend to fish in the paediatric ward. But for Julian there is nothing like the real thing and he misses his boat! He can not wait to get back out in the open water and cast a line in search of the next big catch. The only problem is that his Formosa boat is on the ocean floor. Having endured a trial at sea that defies belief, it would mean so much to Julian to be able to get back out there and prove that he’s the king of the deep blue sea! He would be so grateful if you could donate whatever you can afford to help him raise money to buy a boat that keeps him afloat and doing what he adores.