Sacked hero has no regrets

A man who lost his job after helping rescue a drowning driver from a south-east Queensland river says he has no regrets. Andrew Fisher, 32, said he was sacked after he could not go to work on Friday because he was in hospital being treated for deep cuts he received to his feet during the rescue.

But the swimming pool builder was hardly sorry for his heroics. "I would do it again in a heartbeat," he told the Ten Network. Mr Fisher's feet were cut when he and two other men dragged the driver from his sinking vehicle in the Nerang River on the Gold Coast about 2.30am (AEST) on Friday. Mr Fisher was fishing in the river and was the first on the scene after scrambling across oyster-encrusted rocks to reach the 30-year-old motorist whose car had smashed through a guard rail.

Queensland Police said they would recommend bravery awards for Mr Fisher and fellow rescuers Cameron Wilson and Johan Malm.

Mr Fisher said he could not go to work because he was in hospital receiving treatment - but he was sacked anyway. The cuts make it difficult for him to walk and he said he had been told he could
take weeks to recover. "I said, `Am I right to come in on Monday?' and he said `no'," Mr Fisher said of his phone call on Friday to his boss. "It's pretty slack. Maybe he has no heart.

"I think he would appreciate someone saving him or his family."
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh backed Mr Fisher. She said she would be disappointed if he had been fired after saving a life. "I think we should applaud the good Samaritans and local heroes in our community,"
she told ABC Radio.

"And if it is the case that this gentleman has suffered a loss of employment then I would hope that could be reconsidered.
"These people deserve our applause not our punishment."