The Australian dry lakes racing and hot rodding community is in shock after one of its members collapsed at the site of a major race location in South Australia and couldn't be revived.
Greg Telford and Rob Carroll were doing safety checks on Lake Gairdner in outback South Australia — the site of the Dry Lakes Racers Association's (DLRA) upcoming March "Speed Week" — when both of their cars became bogged on Saturday.
In a post on social media, the DLRA said the pair decided to walk off the lake, as it was very hot and windy.
DLRA president Greg Wapling said Mr Carroll was walking ahead of Mr Telford, and when he turned around, he saw Mr Carroll had collapsed.
Mr Carroll rushed back and tried to give Mr Telford water and perform CPR, but he could not be revived and died.
Mr Carroll then walked 14 kilometres off the lake and rested on Saturday night under a verandah at the lake's canteen.
The following morning, he walked a further six kilometres to a DLRA camp and called the nearby Mt Ive station to raise the alarm.
"Mount Ive came out and picked up Rob and brought him back to the station," Mr Wapling said.
"The police were called, and they retrieved Greg's body and have taken him to Kimba Hospital."
Mr Carroll eventually returned to the DLRA camp hoping to get some sleep on Sunday night, after turning down an offer to stay at Mount Ive.
Mr Wapling said a roo shooter from Mount Ive station stayed with Mr Carroll at the camp on Sunday night, for which the club was "eternally grateful".
Remembering a dedicated racer
Mr Wapling said Mr Telford's death was "a great loss to the club and the entire [racing] community."
"He was very active in both," he told the ABC.
"He was the type of guy that would get in and give something a go, he wouldn't … sit back and wait for somebody else to have a go — and great credit to him for that."
Mr Wapling said the association had undertaken these types of inspections regularly for many years.
"And while cars have got bogged, we've always been able to get them out," he said.
"We've never had an issue with anyone getting into trouble in terms of heat stroke or stress or anything like that.
"To find out that he's passed away doing one of these inspections was just an absolute shock to everyone … it's just the most unfortunate thing."
Mr Carroll, from Castlemaine in Central Victoria, has spent the past two days with police giving statements and is set to travel home in the coming days.
Getting the bug
Mr Telford first visited the salt lake in 2008.
"And as we say, he bit the salt bug," Mr Wapling said.
"He came back in 2015, with a little belly tank that he built.
"A belly tank is a fuel tank of a jet fighter ... he wanted to build something unique and different."
The belly tank carried a Holden grey motor, which Mr Telford built himself in his garage.
"He managed to get three records — so out of that little grey motor he managed to get 140 miles an hour," Mr Wapling said.
Thrill of racing
Elphinstone's Lionel West is preparing the Bronze Aussie – a Holden Commodore – for the lake.
He said Mr Telford was a committed member of the dry lakes racing community and would always give something a go.
"Greg was a really dedicated member of the committee and racing, and was a big-time stalwart of the community," Mr West said.
"He would do anything that he could do to help the club."
The Bronze Aussie is tagged as Australia's fastest four-door car and the team behind it is aiming to hit 482 kilometres per hour (300 miles per hour).
"I got involved with dry lakes racing through [Castlemaine hot rod identity] Rod [Hadfield] and kept going for that," Mr West said.
"At first, I thought I'd have a look, then that turned into having a drive and I've kept going back."
Racing on the lakes is not for the faint-hearted.
Driving the Bronze Aussie, Mr West has reached 435 kilometres per hour
"It's something that you don't get to do anywhere else," Mr West said.
