Paradise with a purpose: Meet the volunteers keeping Coral Bay safe

Some would say St John WA volunteers Katie and Brad Booth live in paradise. 

The travelling couple have called the idyllic town of Coral Bay home for two years. 

Katie, a local registered nurse, became a volunteer with the Coral Bay Sub Branch as a way to really engage with the community. 

For Brad, who was already a volunteer with DFES and Volunteer Marine Rescue, he decided to sign up and come along for the ride after being woken up by Katie’s emergency calls. 

“I was laying in bed while Katie’s mobile would go off overnight and I’d get woken up – so I figured it was best to just join in,” said Brad. 

Typically, Coral Bay is a sleepy town with a small group of permanent residents, seasonal workers and working holiday makers.  

“Sometimes, just Katie and I are the St John volunteer team in town – but now we have more numbers, it’s definitely growing,” said Brad. 

Community Paramedic, Sabrina Fontana, describes the couple’s commitment as “invaluable”. 

“Katie and Brad are really fond of Coral Bay – they came for three months and two years on they’re still here,” said Sabrina. 

“They see a need to provide a service to the community and Katie has the specialist skills, scope and knowledge to do that. 

“And Brad is our man on the ground – if there’s something to be done, he’s the man for the job.” 

Known as the gateway to the world-famous Ningaloo Reef, the population of Coral Bay explodes over June and July with snorkelling enthusiasts, travelling families and international tourists. 

This is where such a small number of St John WA volunteers can leave the town in a precarious position. 

“Anything safety-wise, or anything emergency-related is fully staffed by volunteers in this area,” said Brad. 

The team are trying to combat this and boost numbers by promoting ‘voluntourism’.  

Existing St John WA volunteers can make their way up to Coral Bay with free accommodation and local discounts in exchange for being on call to attend emergencies. 

Brad and Katie just see their volunteer work as an essential part of the privilege of living and working in a small, beautiful community. 

“I’ll do my bit to make sure I can live in this paradise,” said Brad. 

Inspired by Katie and Brad? Volunteer with St John WA.