By Gordon Moyes
Christian Democrat Party

Media Release

March 10, 2007

It was an early crisp morning on January 17th this year. About three hundred people gathered on a railway bridge looking down on the railway tracks. A wave of 83 roses fell to the tracks. People in tears hugged each other. On the Bold Street Bridge, an attractive young mother hugged a large policeman, recently retired.

Thirty years earlier, we can all remember where we were when we heard that morning that a train from the Blue Mountains had crashed at Granville, in western Sydney. But this was no ordinary crash. It had crashed into the staunchions that held up the 170 tonne concrete road bridge which were brought down crushing three carriages packed with commuters on their way to work.

It was absolute devastation. Clouds of dust choked the air. Inside the carriages dozens were already dead. 83 dead bodies would be dragged out. 213 others were alive but crushed beneath the roof and seats of the train. The air was filled with shrieks of pain and cries for help.

The first policeman to arrive, Gary climbed into the carriage. He had never seen anything like it. He discarded his coat and police cap and started to crawl through the wreckage. Constable Gary Raymond was a big chap, but he knew he had to inch his way forward beneath the crushed seats. On his stomach he encountered people already dead. Several people were crying out for help.

Ahead of him, on the floor, beneath a tangled mass of wreckage was 19 year old Debbie Skow. "I felt a limb that was warm, and I thought this person is alive" he said. "When I reached her, she wasn't breathing, but she had a pulse. Her leg was hanging by a thread. She was fading in and out of consciousness. She said "do you think I'll ever be able to have a baby? "I thought, no, you're going to be lucky to survive. I said "Only God knows. "

Gary comforted her and called back to someone to get some lifting or cutting equipment. There was no way he could get Debbie out.

An elderly couple, who were trapped inside the wreckage said to another rescuer nearby who tried to help them, “"Sir, can you please help those young people down the front first." When rescuers went back to the elderly couple, they had passed away. In that carriage 44 of carriage's 77 passengers died, along with 31 of the next carriage's complement of 64.

But on the floor where Gary was comforting Debbie, they did not know that above them a huge concrete slab threatened to slump lower at any moment. Also tonnes of loose bricks teetered above the flimsy roof. Then some rescuers smelt gas. It came from ruptured bottles of LPG used to run the carriage heaters. With the threat of gas leaking over the site, a further major disaster was averted when an unwitting attempt to start a small chainsaw inside a carriage was immediately stopped. The chainsaw was taken outside the carriage & started, first pull. If the chainsaw had started inside, the ignition of gas would have added considerably to the dead & injured toll.

A senior police officer called out to Gary and ordered him out. Debbie pleaded with him not to leave her. Gary called out he would stay. The senior policeman who knew the dangers of the wavering concrete above ordered Gary back. He told Debbie he had to go but promised he would shortly return. As soon as the concrete was stabilized, Gary crawled back to her. It took 31 hours before every trapped person was released and every dead body removed.

Now thirty years later, Debbie and Gary hugged in memory of those hours of stress. Gary said, “"We have kept in touch and a few years later, I was introduced to her little daughter." As he reflected on how he felt this year, Gary said, "The feeling was a difference between glad and sad." The sadness is for those who lost their lives, and their families. The gladness was people coming up and saying "Do you remember me? You got me out and I survived."

An inquiry exonerated the train's driver & fireman, finding the accident was caused by poorly maintained tracks.

I interviewed Gary shortly after the disaster on television. We have remained good friends over the thirty years since. And what has happened to Gary since?

Chief Inspector Gary Raymond OAM, APM has just retired after being a member of the NSW Police for 33 years. Prior to his retirement in December 2005, Gary was performing duty at the Blacktown Police Station as a Duty Officer specializing in Emergency Management and Crime Scene Management.

As a member of the Police Rescue & Bomb Squad, Gary performed over 1,500 rescues including 1,000 motor vehicle collision rescues, 200 cliff rescues, and 200 suicide negotiations at heights such as cliffs, buildings, bridges, roofs and towers. He also performed industrial and domestic rescues. He conducted searches both on land, air and sea whilst working as crew on the police helicopter. Gary has also performed duty at numerous siege and barricade situations as well. Gary attended and dealt with many identified explosive devices.

Gary performed duty at the Granville Train Disaster, Thredbo Landslide Disaster, the Newcastle Earthquake, Luna Park Ghost Train Fire and Hilton Hotel Bombing. Gary has received a number of awards for his bravery displayed during rescue and suicide negotiation missions.

In 1983, Gary was transferred to plain clothes policing for training. He qualified a Designated Detective. As a Detective Sergeant at Blacktown, Gary was involved in many successful homicide and other criminal investigations including the tragic murder of Nursing Sister Anita Cobby at Blacktown.

He has also received commendations and notations on his Police Service Register for performing acts of bravery during encounters with armed offenders. Gary physically arrested an offender (who was holding his wife hostage with a knife at her throat) without harm to the hostage, offender or himself.

In 1991 Gary was appointed as a Senior Investigator to the State s Royal Commission into Corruption in the Building Industry in New South Wales. Gary's team successfully prosecuted a number of organized crime figures, trade union delegates and construction companies during their two-year investigation into criminal activity.

Whilst stationed at Cabramatta Police Station, Gary received a Commander s Commendation for the single-handed arrest of an armed robber after the offender held up staff at a fast food restaurant with a gun and stole money. The arrest was executed after a lengthy foot pursuit resulting in Gary arresting the offender at gunpoint.

Gary was also involved in the crime scene command and successful investigation into Australia's first political assassination, the shooting murder of John Newman, the State Member of Parliament in Cabramatta.

Gary also commanded the Manly area for 3 years where he was the officer in charge of the successful rescue of 800 passengers from a Manly ferry which ran aground at Little Manly Cove.

Gary has been awarded the Australian Police Medal (APM), the National Medal with Clasp and the New South Wales Police Medal for 30 years distinguished police service that included a large number of successful rescues and suicide negotiations. He also has the Granville Train Disaster Medal.

Gary was a member of the NSW Police Peer Support Working Party and was a Senior Peer Support officer along with Police Psychologists and Police Chaplains involved in helping traumatized or suicidal police officers.

As a committed Christian, Gary is leader of the Christian Police Association (CPA) (NSW Branch). This organization provides Christian ministry, help and fellowship for police employees.

Gary is a member of the Full Gospel Business Men s Fellowship International and attends the Blacktown Chapter in Sydney. He is involved in FGBMFI outreach including meetings, Mayoral Prayer Breakfasts and conventions.

Gary is Vice-President and Senior State Chaplain to the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) of New South Wales. This organization has over 3,000 volunteers as members. Gary conducts workshops to help people in the VRA become aware of Critical Incident Stress Management. He also defuses rescue squad operatives after high emotional impact rescue events.

Gary has spoken both to Australian and overseas conferences including the Hendon Police Training College, London.

Gary is a member of the Rotary Club of Blacktown City and is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow. He also received an Australia Day Achievement Award and Blacktown Citizen of the Year in 1993 for his commitment to Street Kid Programmes and Suicide Awareness Programs. Gary is a State member of the Drug Arm Board. The Drug Arm organization facilitates street van teams and other street level drug prevention programs.

Gary received the Police Commissioner s Olympic Citation for his policing, planning and operational management during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

In August 2002, at an International Conference in Melbourne, Gary was presented with a National Award of Excellence from the Critical Incident Stress Management Foundation of Australia for outstanding contributions to the field of Critical Incident Stress Management.

Gary was the Strategic Terrorism Risk Assessor for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He recently received a Commissioner s Certificate of Merit for his risk management work during the Rugby World Cup security planning. The Cup was one of the biggest public events in the southern hemisphere that year.

In November 2004, Gary was a keynote speaker at the Risk Management Institute of Australasia Conference in Hobart. He spoke on the Safety & Security Risk Management of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

In February 2005, Gary went to tsunami affected Ski Lanka to help in the recovery effort. He helped in tsunami affected areas on the south, west and east coasts of Sri Lanka. He visited the site where a train was washed off the tracks by the tsunami drowning around 1200 people. Gary advised the Government Medical Officers at the Galle Hospital mortuary in dealing with the Disaster Victim Identification of hundreds of tsunami victim's bodies. He performed training and education workshops to community and church leaders in Critical Incident and Post Traumatic Stress management of tsunami survivors and their family. Gary counselled a large number of tsunami survivors in refugee camps as well during his visit to Sri Lanka.

In February 2006, at a Blacktown City Council meeting, Gary was presented with the keys to Blacktown City by Mayor Leo Kelly for services to the people of the Blacktown Local Government area. This was only the fifth time this honour has been handed out in Blacktown in the last one hundred years.

In February 2006, Gary went to the USA to lecture the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LCSD) on Suicide Negotiation techniques. He also spoke in a number of churches and Christian Police groups in the Los Angeles area.

In April and June 2006, Gary was called by Chaplaincy Australia to North Queensland to conduct trauma and suicide prevention workshops to the victims and emergency managers of Cyclone Larry. He also went into the field to counsel devastated cane and banana farmers in the aftermath of the cyclone damage.

In June 2006, Gary was invited to lecture at the Royal Fijian Police Academy, Suva, Fiji. He also conducted negotiation training to their Tactical Response Group (TRG). Gary is a regular lecturer at the Ambulance Service of NSW Rescue Training School.

Gary has been a keynote speaker at a NSW Governor s Prayer Breakfast and six Mayoral Prayer Breakfasts both in NSW and Queensland.

Gary has accepted to run with Rev. The Hon. Fred Nile MLC in the State election as a candidate for the NSW Parliament Legislative Council (Upper House) for the Christian Democratic Party.

On Australia Day 2007, it was announced that Gary has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM). It will be presented by the Governor in May 2007.

Gary s wife Michelle is a Primary School teacher at Caddies Creek Public School and they live at Glenwood, near Parklea Markets in Sydney. Gary and his wife are both uniformed members of The Salvation Army at Parramatta.

Gary has come a long way since that first terrible day at Granville.

REV HON DR GORDON MOYES, A.C. M.L.C.