Beyond the Breaking Point: Cameron Hardiman Pt.2
3/23/202653 min
On a stormy day, Cameron Hardiman’s Air Wing team got a call: there was a man in the middle of Bass Strait clinging to a broken yacht. What should have been a routine rescue turned brutal.
In Part 2, Cameron explains how that terrifying rescue pushed him into the AFP, where he broke up raids in the Solomon Islands, and played delivery driver for a $200 million cocaine bust. Cameron was eventually diagnosed with PTSD, and he talks to Gary Jubelin about the end of his police career.
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First 90 secondsGary Jubelin· Host0:00
[upbeat music] The public has had a long-held fascination with detectives. Detectives see a side of life the average person is never exposed to. I spent thirty-four years as a cop. For twenty-five of those years, I was catching killers. That's what I did for a living. I was a homicide detective. I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys. Instead, I'm taking the public into the world in which I operated. The guests I talk to each week have amazing stories from all sides of the law. The interviews are raw and honest, just like the people I talk to. Some of the content and language might be confronting. That's because no one who comes into contact with crime is left unchanged. Join me now as I take you into this world. [upbeat music] Welcome back to part two of my chat with Cameron Hardiman. In part one, we spoke about Cameron's early career in policing. Now, in part two, Cameron tells us about a high-risk helicopter rescue in Bass Strait that made him realize he couldn't keep rolling the dice. Cameron then joined the AFP, which took him to the Solomon Islands on a peacekeeping operation and a humanitarian operation in Christchurch after the devastating earthquakes. He also investigated international drug dealers and human trafficking. Cameron's job finally caught up with him. He was diagnosed with PTSD. This ended his career in the police. I've enjoyed this talk with Cameron and his reflection on bravery and resilience.