Mosman miracle teen Artaban de Lacharriere reunited with the men who saved his life.

By JACK KELLY

A Mosman teenager who fell more than 15m from a cliff last year has reunited with the men who saved him.

Artaban de Lacharriere was celebrating the last day of school on November 29 when he accidentally fell from the Queenscliff Headland in front of horrified onlookers.

First responders Reece Lawson, Rory Kissane and Sam Stead – all aged 22 – were on duty as Lifeguards when they received a frantic call to help the 15-year-old, who lay semi-conscious at the base of a rock ledge.

“We didn’t know how bad the injuries were at first, but it became apparent very quickly that Artaban was in a pretty serious condition,” Rory told Mosman Collective.

“Luckily, our First Aid knowledge kicked into gear, and we were able to help deliver a good outcome.

“Our priority was to keep Artaban stable until the Paramedics arrived.”

As the trio worked to try and stem blood loss, Rory, Reece and Sam made the decision to gently move their critically injured patient, clearing his airways and administering oxygen.

This instinctive diagnosis almost certainly saved Artaban’s life.

“The last thing I remember was going around the rocks to Freshwater. I just remember looking at the waves,” Artaban said in an exclusive interview last month with this publication.

He was rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical state, with doctors telling his parents, Antigone and Alexandre, to prepare for the worst.

“When we arrived at the hospital, we asked, is he alive?” Alexandre said, “And then they asked us to say goodbye,” Antigone added.

“His chance of dying was like 95 per cent.”

Now, nine months later, the miracle teen is thriving, thanks in part to the quick thinking of the first responders.

“You men who saved my son are angels who have given my family a second chance,” Antigone told the lifeguards this week.

“Lucky for us, it was low tide, lucky that you were there, lucky that the paramedics came quickly, and lucky that we are in Australia.

“We are so lucky that all the stars aligned, and you three were the stars and the angels,” she said.

This weekend, Artaban will run out with the Sydney Swans to encourage Australians to donate blood and give the gift of life to those who need it most.

“I am here today because of blood transfusions,” Artaban said.

“I received 62 units of blood in 24 hours after my accident, and it saved my life.”

Australia needs around 33,000 blood and plasma donations every week to meet demand.

You can do your bit by booking your donation with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood HERE.

Our thanks to Northern Beaches Council for their assistance with this story.