Broome local Paul Boon has lived in the Kimberley for 24 years.
He loves the colours, the landscape, and the connection to culture. In recent years, he’s taken to the ocean on an e-foil; a kind of surfboard that rises above the water with the help of a motorised wing.
“You're connected to what's going on with the tides, the weather, the wind. It’s a beautiful feeling,” Paul said.
After a cyclone passed offshore, Cable Beach was lit up with one of the most spectacular swells Broome had seen in years.
“I think the general consensus was there’d never been more surfers out at Cable Beach than that day,” Paul said.
Despite getting “knocked around a bit,” Paul stayed out, enjoying the water. Eventually, he returned to shore, thinking he was just tired. But as he sat beside his board, the fatigue deepened and a pain in his chest began to grow.
One of the photographers on the beach, Michael Torres, noticed Paul sitting quietly and realised something wasn’t right. Michael’s camera captured the moment Paul knew he needed help.
“I just thought to myself, I need to get back up the beach and get someone to take me to hospital as soon as possible.”
At Broome Hospital, doctors confirmed Paul had suffered a STEMI - a serious heart attack. He was stabilised at Broome Hospital but needed urgent transfer to receive specialised cardiac care and a stent procedure.
RFDS Flight Nurse Joss Forbes was tasked with transferring Paul that night in the Rio Tinto LifeFlight PC-24 jet.
“I remember it clearly. It was a night shift, and I was tasked with a jet,” Joss said.
Joss had been with the Flying Doctor for many years, flying out of Derby and Broome bases since 1999. But this flight stuck with her.
“Paul didn’t look like someone who’d just had a heart attack. He was young and fit. I think he was still in a bit of shock that this was happening to him.”
Within hours, Paul was in Perth surrounded by cardiologists and undergoing urgent treatment.
“The beauty of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is that the whole process was accelerated. I was able to get to the right specialists, with the right equipment, to make a call on what I needed,” Paul said. “You just feel secure and safe at a time you’re really vulnerable.”
Joss has made hundreds of flights like Paul’s and knows how powerful calmness can be in a crisis.
“I’ve often said to patients: there’s no need for you to fear,” she says. “If you ever see me look worried, then you can be worried — but you’ll never see me look worried, even if I am.”
Paul’s recovery was smooth. A few days after his procedure, the cardiologist assured him he could live to a ripe old age. He’s back in Broome now and back on the water.
“It’s a question you get asked; whether or not this changes your outlook on life. For me, the word that sums it up is gratitude. You have a deeper gratitude. With that comes happiness.”
For Joss, seeing Paul thrive after such a close call is a reminder of why she does what she does.
“Seeing Paul is a really, really nice reminder that we do occasionally save lives. Sometimes, it happens.”
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