RIP Matt

From today's "The Australian":

"AS torrential rain and hail pounded down, defence force helicopter pilot
Matthew Donovan was determined to ensure his girlfriend, two brothers and
three friends got out of Empress Canyon before him.

The canyon in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, had flooded and turned
into a series of sucking pools of deep water. Having ensured his friends
were safe, Matthew, who served in Iraq and East Timor, was the last to jump
into a pool close to the canyon's mouth - an act of selflessness that cost
him his life.

"Matthew being Matthew, he was making sure everyone got out," his uncle
Basil Donovan said yesterday. "Even though he was into adventure, he was
always remarkably careful."

Brother James Donovan is the police officer who made headlines 10 days ago
when he jumped inside a taxi and wrestled a gunman in a packed city street
in Melbourne. A second brother, Kelly Donovan, is a high-ranking army
officer.

But the force of water in the canyon was so strong that both were powerless
to save Matthew.

Police rescue divers found his body mid-morning yesterday in the rock pool
at the top of Empress Falls, after a rescue effort hindered by fog and
heavy rain.

"It looks like the waters sucked him back underneath," said Springwood
police inspector Tony Malone. "The water-flow has pinned him in and kept
him under."

James and Kelly arrived back in Sydney last night, traumatised after having
watched their brother drown.

"Since Matthew's father died 10 years ago he's been very close to his
brothers," Basil Donovan said. "But by the time it was his turn to swim,
the current was too strong.

"His brothers had to watch. Because of the whirlpool effect, he was coming
up and down."

It was late afternoon on Saturday when the group of six walked down the
steep steps that lead to Empress Canyon.

An experienced canyoner, Matthew usually preferred more challenging
canyons, but that day he had chosen a beginner's spot in the Blue
Mountains. He did not want to put anyone's safety at risk.

His nephews knew storms were forecast, Basil Donovan said, but had no idea
they would hit the canyon so hard.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service said the heavy downpour was
extremely localised, and the ground was already waterlogged from days of
rain.

The grief-stricken party spent yesterday at Katoomba police station making
statements before a family gathering in Sydney.

"He was a very, very high-achieving, very caring and very loving son,"
Basil Donovan said."

RIP