You want a beer, uncle?
Yeah.
Cheers.
I just feel so blessed.
I've got this beautiful family
we just spend so much time together
we have so much fun together.
You know, I just love what we've got.
I mean I didn't appreciate my life
until I realised what a gift was given to me
when i had that second chance.
My parents, they're just... they're very giving.
Very giving, very generous parents
and I aspire to be like them.
When Mummy was two years old
Grandma and Granddad took me away from Vietnam
on this little, little boat.
How big? Like this big?
Not that big - about 8 metres long.
I actually didn't think the story that my dad
would tell me as a child
this adventure, how we came to come to Australia,
how we left Vietnam by riverboat,
it sounded too unreal, too surreal to be true.
We got attacked by pirates -
you know Peter Pan and Captain Hook?
Yeah!
I don't remember leaving Vietnam at all.
I don't even remember us being attacked.
by pirates, being shot by pirates,
Did you see any sharks?
No but I'm sure there were sharks in the water.
So for me, it was a bit of a story.
it was like a fairy tale.
Goodnight, chicken pants.
I suppose I'm one of those people
they refer to as boat people.
Madison's sports carnivals on Tuesday.
I got that sausage sizzle all organised.
Growing up in Australia, I felt like an Australian, really.
All right, so I've got to drop you off tomorrow
in the morning as well?
Yes please.
When I thought I was the same as everyone else
and I am the same as everyone else.
it wasn't until I got older thatI understood
my parents would have went thorugh hell
to save my life - not just me,
but everyone on that boat.
The whole rescue was on tape - like a movie.
It blew my mind away.
That fairytale that I thought was a fairytale
it was real.
My role in the rescue really was an overseer.
Go here, go do this, get this.
Help these people out.
it was like a beat up old boat
it wasn't really in good shape.
I don't think they would have made it
if they'd gotten caught in the storm.
It was made up of... it was 47 people
and there were children, infants, youngsters
men and women.
And then there were three pregnant ladies.
and it wasn't easy to get them on anyway.
What was decided, he threw a cargo net over the side
and we got the ladies in the cargo net
and then we dragged the net up.
so they were in mesh in the net.
and they were safe.
And them we put our Seaman Jamie Miller
who was a fireaxe - I put him in the boat
I asked him to punch a hole in the boat.
so that it could sink.
and wouldn't be any obstacle to any other ships.
You try sometimes to put yourself in their place
say my god, how would I have handled it.
What would I have done?
You don't know until it happens.
These people were running for their life.
They had been attacked by their own people.
or pirates - took their food, took the money they had
these people had only what was on their back.
I had to take care of the people that were injured.
One man was shot in the chest.
There was a woman there who was also shot
and she was damaged by ricocheting
the wood on the boat.
went all over her chest and back and face.
This is such an unusual incident
if you take the child's had and just hold them
and talk to them whether they understand you or not,
in their heart the bond was formed.
Each one of the crew, everybody extended their hand
they were there, and I was very proud of them
because they did such a good job.
Kindness, helpfulness
That's the essence.
These tapes just arrived from America.
All right, here we go.
So there's eight people here today that were on the boat
Was there someone in there?
- Yeah, there was someone in there! - Woah!
There's someone in the bag.
It just really hit home to everybody
what happened.
How dangerous it was.
My attitude towards boat people has changed a lot.
Not only did this event happen,
but to be able to see it.
That's you right there right? Right in the front.
Where are you, Mum?
Everything is so real.
It looked like something out of the news.
Who are they? Where did they come from?
Why did they leave?
Why are they in this situation?
When I saw this footage,
that wasn't just anybody.
That was me.
Being able to see the rescue
on footage
it changed my life
it gave a lot more meaning
for me to strive to do more
and be a better person
thankyou!
Ever since i've seen that tape
I see myself as a proud refugee.
I'm a boat person, and I'm very proud of it.