Latest news with #PaulTaylor
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Burns victim reunites with rescuers after life-changing attack
Readers are advised this story contains images of a person with severe burns, which some people may find distressing. Paul Taylor had always been curious to learn the fate of the man he found with severe burns on the side of a windy, rural road. It was June 2022 when the motorcyclist, bound for his home at Shoalhaven Heads on the NSW south coast, happened to have made a scenic detour through Saddleback Mountain and made the grim discovery. Unbeknownst to Mr Taylor, the man he was tending to, Central West local Andrew Gibson, had been doused in petrol by a former friend and set alight in an unprovoked attack. Paramedics at first struggled to locate the pair among the difficult terrain but upon arrival, assessed Mr Gibson for third-degree burns to his face, chest and hands, and placed him into an induced coma before he was flown to a Sydney hospital. "I was actually waiting for somebody to call and say he didn't make it because he was in such a bad way," Mr Taylor said. It would be three years before Mr Taylor would know what became of that fateful day. Mr Gibson spent five days in intensive care, underwent multiple surgeries and had months of hospital rehabilitation. "They say you should drop and roll [when on fire] but I did a pretty fast Peter Garrett impersonation of getting all my clothes off as quick as I could." The now 54-year-old said as the incident took place in a secluded area with little traffic, it was some time before he was found by Mr Taylor. "That was a moment of relief. I thought my pain and suffering was finally about to end," Mr Gibson said. The man responsible for the attack on Mr Gibson, Quinton Nydegger, who lives with diagnosed schizophrenia, was sentenced to almost seven years' jail in September 2023 and will be eligible for parole next year. Mr Gibson said he had been unable to work since, now suffered from PTSD and had lost some sensation in his scarred hands. But he said he was ready to take back his life by travelling Australia and first wanted to thank the passer-by and paramedic who saved his life. On a warm July morning, outside Kiama Ambulance Station, Mr Gibson shared a welcome embrace from his rescuer Mr Taylor and first-on-scene paramedic Matt Edwards. The meet-up was organised by NSW Ambulance after Mr Gibson reached out ahead of his planned travels. He said it was a form of closure and "way to say thank you". Mr Taylor described the moment as "special" and said he was surprised to see Mr Gibson in good health. "He's looking well … I thought he would have had stumps for fingers they were so bad," he said. Mr Edwards, who has been a paramedic for 20 years, said he still had "vivid memories" of Mr Gibson's case. Marty Nichols, associate director of paramedicine and clinical practice at NSW Ambulance, said reuniting patients with emergency personnel was both "rare and unique". "We are very mindful we get to come into people's homes and see them on their worst days to relieve their pain or provide critical treatment, but the reality is we very rarely find out what happened to them," he said. NSW Ambulance only records patient-specific information, so locating Mr Taylor and organising a suitable time for all three men to meet took months. "It's not always possible or easy," Mr Nichols said. "If meeting up with paramedics can help someone in their recovery journey then we went to be part of that."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Explorers discover largest cave system found in over ten years
Have you ever gone off on an adventure and found something spectacular?Well, one team of cavers from Gloucester has done exactly that - an "exploratory urge" led them to one of the biggest discoveries in over a found a 10km (6 mile) long network of narrow passages and gaping caverns near English Bicknor in the Forest of team was led by conservation officer and retired physicist Dr Tim Nichols, and he said all their dreams came true when they stepped into it for the first time. The start of the network, called Redhouse Lane Swallet, was actually found first by a man called Paul Taylor in the Dr Tim explained that while exploring this mile-long original system, he felt a strong breeze coming from a passage filled with boulders at one end of it and simply had to investigate further."That exploratory urge to go and find where no person has ever been before is really special."With each trip it just kept getting better and better." It took a lot of hard work, but eventually his team of explorers successfully dug past the boulders in August last Tim said: "You have to pinch yourself, it is a once in a lifetime [find]."Every trip's just been like another birthday present and every trip we've been finding something different."Caves remain one of those things on the planet that are largely undiscovered."True genuine exploration - that's what's exciting about it," Dr Nichols added. Cool cave facts The largest network of caves in the UK is the Three Counties System in the Yorkshire DalesGaping Gill has the largest unbroken waterfall of any cave in the UK, and its main cavern is about 365ft (111m) deep, which is the same height as St Paul's Cathedral in LondonThe deepest known cave in the UK is in Derbyshire - it's called Titan, and is 141.5 meters (464 ft) deep
BBC News
7 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Caving team discover 'dream' 10km network under Forest of Dean
An "exploratory urge" led to the discovery one of the largest cave systems found in Britain in a decade, with cavers saying it was "a dream come true".The network of passages and giant caverns stretching for 10km (6 miles) was found near English Bicknor in the Forest of first part of the cave system, Redhouse Lane Swallet, was originally found in the 1990s by Paul Taylor, a caver from officer and retired physicist Dr Tim Nichols, who was part of a new generation of explorers which discovered the wider network of caverns, said he did not realise the significance of what they had recently found until they saw it. "The first time when we stepped into the new passage when there was just two of us - all of our dreams had come true," Dr Nichols said."That exploratory urge to go and find where no person has ever been before is really special."With each trip it just kept getting better and better."He explained a strong draught in the boulder filled passage at the end of the original network of caves had inspired him to delve sheer determination his team of explorers successfully dug past the boulders in August last year."You have to pinch yourself, it is a once in a lifetime [find]."Every trip's just been like another birthday present and every trip we've been finding something different.""Caves remain one of those things on the planet that are largely undiscovered."True genuine exploration - that's what's exciting about it," Dr Nichols added. Dr Nichols went on to explain how "it's the biggest find" in the UK in a long last discovery was made in 2010 in what is now the UK's longest cave system called The Three Counties, which was initially thought to be three separate systems. But in 2010, cavers discovered they were in fact interconnected making it 87km (54 miles) long. In the 1990s, Mr Taylor began exploration work on the Redhouse Lane Swallet in the Forest of Dean and after two years of digging discovered the initial cave system which was around a mile Taylor said he is "extremely honoured and proud" to be a part of this history-making discovery."I started caving when I was just 13 years old and I'm 71 years old now," he said."To be the very first person to shine your light down that passage and put your footprints down - it's an amazing experience," Mr Taylor added.
Finextra
17-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Fitch Solutions appoints Rachel Lojko president
Fitch Solutions, a leading provider of insights, data, and analytics, today announced the appointment of Rachel Lojko as President, effective August 1, 2025. 0 Rachel will take over from Ted Niedermayer, who is leaving at the end of July after significantly contributing to the growth and advancement of Fitch Solutions. Fitch Solutions is part of Fitch Group, a global leader in financial information services with operations in 30 countries, which also includes the global credit ratings agency, Fitch Ratings. Paul Taylor, CEO of Fitch Group, stated, "Rachel's appointment marks both a continuity and an evolution in leadership as we enter the next phase of our journey. Her wealth of commercial experience and expertise in financial information services, combined with her transformational leadership, make her the ideal person to lead Fitch Solutions through its next chapter." Rachel joined Fitch Solutions as Chief Commercial Officer in May 2023, where she has been instrumental in advancing the company's go-to-market strategy and increasing customer centricity. Her previous roles at Thomson Financial, Refinitiv, and LSEG have equipped her with extensive knowledge across various customer segments and a proven track record of driving growth. During his tenure, Ted Niedermayer guided Fitch Solutions through key acquisitions and strategic shifts, establishing a vibrant organization well-positioned for continued success. His leadership has been crucial in attracting new talent and making impactful structural changes. Rachel's appointment reinforces the company's strategy, focusing on accelerating product and data initiatives, fostering collaboration with Fitch Ratings, and embedding a culture of innovation and inclusion. Rachel concluded, "I am energized by the opportunities that lie ahead and deeply appreciative of the strong foundation built under Ted's leadership. I look forward to leveraging my experience in financial information and passion for transformational leadership to drive further growth and innovation to support our stakeholders."
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
‘Fine sweeper' snaps more than 5000 parking violations in five months
The Mobile Licence Plate Recognition (MLPR) system issued more than 5000 tickets in five months. Photo: Paul Taylor - NZME The Hastings District Council's fine sweeper - a camera-covered car that catches out overstaying parkers - has snapped more than 5000 vehicles in five months. From 1 January to 1 June, the car pinged 5326 vehicles for parking infringements in Hastings and Havelock North. In the same period, parking officers on foot ticketed 3926 vehicles for overstaying in metered and time-restricted spaces. The LPR (licence plate recognition) vehicle is not quite clever enough to issue tickets yet, and that job falls to the team of four parking officers who take turns driving it. But it is functioning "very efficiently", a Hastings District Council spokesperson said. A council spokesperson said the car picks up on violations of time limits and photos of these are sent to the office for processing by the team, who then send out infringement notices. The hybrid vehicle cost $73,000 and was funded out of parking income, not rates, and has advanced technology in its roof and rear and a camera that takes photos of cars and tyres of parked vehicles. The wheel images are reviewed by officers to determine if the vehicle has moved or not, while the license plate identifies the offending vehicle. Although it could "see in the dark", the council does not use it in the dark, a council spokesperson said. Once the photos are taken, a parking officer evaluates the record and issues an infringement. They only issue infringements using the LPR for overstaying a zone, however time zones apply in all metered spaces. The spokesperson said while the officers had not been abused while driving the car, this was still a problem for on-foot officers. Asked if and when the car would pay for itself, the spokesperson said while there were benefits, there were significant ongoing costs of running the system. These included: "Vehicle and running costs, infringement processing administration, IT systems and maintenance, infringement court filing fees and staff costs." However, they said the objective was to process offenders and keep staff safe. The top three areas in Hastings where people are overstaying since the start of the year are Canning Road, Lyndon Road and Avenue East. The smart car first hit the streets in July 2024, but system function issues meant only warnings were sent out in the first few months. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
