A team Knox students, Old Boys and volunteers from Whale Beach Surf Life Saving have been awarded Northern Beaches Surf Life Saving ‘Rescue of the Year’ for the search, rescue and resuscitation of two men at Whale Beach in December 2017.
This is the second year running that Knox students have been part of a team that received the award.
Two swimmers were swept off a sandbank into a powerful rip current at the beach at about 3pm on 23 December 2017.
One of the men, who was unconscious, was found underwater and was taken back to the beach on a rescue board. Members of the patrol performed CPR on the man and was successfully resuscitated and taken to hospital.
The second man made it back to the sandbank and was treated on the beach for shock and secondary drowning.
Both men made a full recovery.
Knox students were among the team who searched for the man in the water and performed CPR.
Congratulations to the members of the patrol, including the Knox students and Old Boys, who were part of this rescue:
Suzy Bownes, Iain Bownes (OKG77), Angus Bownes (OKG12), Oliver Bownes (OKG10), Sophie Rothery, Liam George (Year 12), Jack Bregenhoj (Year 11), Lachlan Williams (OKG10), Sydney Robertson (Year 12), Sally Collier, Tom Sanderson (OKG17), Nicholas Dijohn (Knox student), Lara Boyle, Alexander Burchett (OKG12), Max Zagorski (Year 12), Archie Elliott (Year 11), Angus Kellaway (Year 11), Dylan Gay (Year 11), Oscar Press (Year 11), Edward Harrison (Year 12), William Harte (Year 12), Ben Rothery (Year 9), Barney Allen (Year 12), Harrison Penn (Year 12), Zack Bannigan (Year 9) and Maddie Zagorski.
22 May 2026
We recently welcomed an incredible 157 teams from schools across Sydney, New South Wales and the ACT to the 2026 NSW Knox da Vinci Decathlon. We thank all participants and accompanying staff for joining us from 12-14 May in the Great Hall and for contributing to such a positive and intellectually vibrant atmosphere.
14 May 2026
Knox has been recognised among New South Wales’ leading schools, ranked 5th in the Daily Telegraph’s Top 100 Private Primary Schools list.
01 May 2026
Future-readiness is a central theme woven throughout the School’s current Strategic Direction. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, its role in education becomes increasingly significant.
