Shark wrestler saves children at Australian beach, later loses job

[Goober]

Shark wrestler saves children at Australian beach, later loses job | World | News | National Post

A Welsh grandfather hailed as a hero for wrestling a shark away from children in Australia has been fired because he was on sick leave at the time.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, was on holiday with his wife Wendy, 56, when the incident at Bullcock Beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast occurred.

When a shark was spotted swimming toward a group of young children, he waded into the sea, grabbed the 1.8-metre dusky whaler shark by the tail and dragged it into deeper water.

The incident received widespread coverage after a local TV crew filming nearby caught the incident on video.

Raw: Man Wrestles Shark Away From Beach - YouTube
Mr. Marshallsea’s bravery made headlines in the Australian and British media, and lifeguards praised his actions.

But the charity worker and his wife were supposedly on extended sick leave from their jobs with the Pant & Dowlais Boys & Girls Club in Merthyr Tydfil, 30 kilometres north of Cardiff. The couple returned home to find they had been dismissed.

In a letter, the trust wrote, “Whilst unfit to work you were well enough to travel to Australia and, according to recent news footage of yourself in Queensland, you allegedly grabbed a shark by the tail and narrowly missed being bitten by quickly jumping out of the way; the photographs and footage appearing in newspapers and television broadcasts.”

 

[Sal]

Oh yeah, surprise, surprise...no good deed goes unpunished.

Does one have to be especially stupid in order to do public administrative work? Here comes the backlash from the public, count on it you d i c ks.

 

[Goober]

Oh yeah, surprise, surprise...no good deed goes unpunished.

Does one have to be especially stupid in order to do public administrative work? Here comes the backlash from the public, count on it you d i c ks.

They were on stress leave. Not leave for illness due to some physical incapacity. Does being in stress leave mean you never leave your house. Perhaps they should install ankle bracelets. What a bunch of Idiots.
The statement from Idjits R Us.
Dowlais Engine House Homepage

As you will note they do not know what date it is.
Trustees Statement

March 31, 2013

Mr Paul Marshallsea was dismissed for a variety of issues relating to the period leading up to the commencement of his sickness absence in April 2012. None of the issues related to his recent holiday in Australia. The Trustees are not in a position to make any further comment as to do so could involve divulging personal information relating to Mr Marshallsea a former employee.

Ah the beauty of the Net. You can run but ya can't hide. I am sure they removed their email address due to the substantial number of emails telling them they were Idjits.
But I tried it and you are redirected to their home page with no email address.
Mighty fishy reasons to fire people.


http://wales.unitedkingdom-tenders....ouse_regeneration_project_2011_Merthyr_Tydfil
Dowlais engine house regeneration project.

CONTRACT NOTICE

Services

SECTION I: CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
I.1)NAME, ADDRESSES AND CONTACT POINT(S)

Pant & Dowlais Boys & Girls Club
Pant & Dowlais Boys & Girls Club, The Engine House, High Street, Dowlais
Contact: Pant & Dowlais Boys & Girls Club
Attn: Helen hughes
CF42 3HA Merthyr Tydfil
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel. +44 1685375318
E-mail: helen.helpinghand@yahoo.co.uk

 

[Vancouverite]

Well, he was supposed to be on sick leave, so his heroism has nothing to do with his fraud.

 

[Goober]

Well, he was supposed to be on sick leave, so his heroism has nothing to do with his fraud.

What fraud. Does sick leave in this case stress related mean they have to be chained to the local area. You have no idea if a Doctor recommended that they get away and relax, now do you.
You jump to fraud based upon what?
They were on stress leave and went to Australia. And they must be guilty. Right??????

 

[karrie]

Goober, where's the corroboration for the assertion that it was stress leave and not sick leave?

I can't seem to see anything in any of the sources in this thread that says 'stress leave', they all say 'sick leave'.

 

[Goober]

Goober, where's the corroboration for the assertion that it was stress leave and not sick leave?

I can't seem to see anything in any of the sources in this thread that says 'stress leave', they all say 'sick leave'.

From the article - para 6 and 7 from the bottom up.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...children-at-australian-beach-later-loses-job/
A follow-up letter said, “The breakdown of the trustees’ confidence and trust in you and your ability to perform the role is so great that we find that dismissal is the only course of action we can recommend.”

Mr. Marshallsea said he and his wife, who also worked at the charity, had taken the holiday at the advice of their doctor, after being diagnosed with stress.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21753342

 

[SLM]

You know, if I ever get fired (which I hope to God I never am), I think I'd like to be fired after doing something that garnered international press. Can you imagine the job offers that'll be pouring in for this guy? I'd be willing to bet he's got or will be getting plenty.

 

[karrie]

You know, if I ever get fired (which I hope to God I never am), I think I'd like to be fired after doing something that garnered international press. Can you imagine the job offers that'll be pouring in for this guy? I'd be willing to bet he's got or will be getting plenty.

I don't know. Stress leave is a black mark against you when applying for jobs, especially when you're past retirement age.

 

[SLM]

I don't know. Stress leave is a black mark against you when applying for jobs, especially when you're past retirement age.

The publicity for doing something heroic may work well in his favour though. But overall, think of all the highly publicized firings we've heard about, all for doing something heroic. And we always hear about them getting job offers from other places.

I think he can make fighting off sharks work for him. But maybe just that's too everyday in Australia. Lol. We'll have to ask Praxius.