1 day ago
5
A rising Sydney Roosters star has been recognised for his bravery at an official ceremony in New South Wales after he saved his father’s life while they were out spearfishing.
Blake Steep was honoured with a silver medal last Thursday by the Patron of the Royal Humane Society of NSW and State Governor, Margaret Beazley, for his heroics in saving his father, Brent’s, life.
The medals are presented to citizens for showing outstanding courage in situations of great peril.
The 187cm tall 20-year-old lock and his dad had swum 800m out to the headland at Delicate Beach, situated 15km north of Port Macquarie, where they began free diving to around 10m.
Steep revealed earlier this year to The Sydney Morning Herald that his father came up from a dive and told him that he began to feel unwell, with his dad suffering a heart attack.
The Roosters lock grabbed his dad and pushed him over to the nearest outcrop of rocks, but the pair both suffered deep cuts and scrapes as Steep attempted to pull his dad out of the sea.
Rising Sydney Roosters star Blake Steep (left) has been recognised for his bravery at an official ceremony in New South Wales after he saved his father’s life while they were out spearfishing
The 187cm tall 20-year-old lock and his dad had swam 800m out to the headland at Delicate Beach, situated 15km north of Port Macquarie, where they began free diving to around 10m
The young Rooster's dad took ill and he was forced to swim back to shore before swimming back out to his dad on the headland
He realised the pair needed help and jumped back into the sea, swimming for the shoreline to get help. On his way back, he realised that he was swimming alongside multiple sharks and noted that there was blood in the water.
Steep told The Sydney Morning Herald that he had thought to himself: ‘Far out this could be bad.’
After raising the alarm, the Roosters youngster made it back to his dad, where the pair shared a moment, which at the time he thought would be his dad’s last.
‘He broke down in tears, I was in tears,’ Steep said. ‘He started preparing me for the worst. He gave me his last words. His promises as a man.
‘He told me how he wanted me to look after the family, look after Mum. He told me I had to get back down to Sydney, rip into footy and do my best for him. That rattled me a fair bit.
‘I’m there going back: “You’re fine, you’re fine”. He was telling me these massive things, his last words after all.
‘And I’m there giving him a pep speech: “You’re strong, you’re tough”. He was in tears and he felt like he’d let me down by putting me through that. “Sorry for putting the family through this”.
‘I didn’t want him thinking that way. But at the same time, he had to, he’s stuck on a rock, bleeding, having a heart attack. He was coughing the whole time, looking like he was going to have another one.
An hour later, a jet ski arrived, his dad was rushed to hospital in the back of an ambulance.
The pair were later rescued by a medic on a jet ski, with Steep's (centre) dad being taken to hospital and surviving the ordeal
Brent would undergo surgery following and after coming out the other side, his dad heaped praise on his son for his courage.
‘If Blake wasn’t there, I’m not here now,’ he told the outlet. ‘There’s no way in the world I could’ve got back to the beach from where I was. I’m basically back to normal now. I’m bored, going out of mind sitting around.’
The 20-year-old would go on to play 22 matches for the Roosters this season and put pen to paper on a new deal to remain at the club until the end of 2028.
Steep, who hails from Port Macquarie, made his debut for the Roosters in Round 13 of the 2024 NRL season.
'He’s a player who works hard for every opportunity, and his growth over the past couple of seasons is a credit to his approach and consistency,' Roosters Head of Recruitment, Joel Carbone, said.
'We’re really pleased to see him continue his journey with us and believe he’ll play an important role in the years ahead.'
