At Saferight, our foundations are deeply tied to Australia’s defence community. As a veteran-founded organisation, we carry with us the values of service, courage and mateship every day.
This year, we have taken an important step to honour one of those who paid the ultimate price in service to Australia: David O’Callaghan, a member of the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) who lost his life during a maritime counter-terrorism operation in 1982.
Our upcoming Sea Survival Training Centre, located at 20 Mews Road, South Fremantle, will be named in David’s honour and stand as a lasting tribute to his legacy.
Who Was David O’Callaghan?
In 1982, David O’Callaghan was serving with the Australian SAS during a maritime counter-terrorism operation in Bass Strait.
During this high-risk training evolution, David tragically lost his life in the service of his country. The incident involved two water operators: David, and his dive buddy Russ Becker, a Clearance Diver and Officer of the Royal Australian Navy. Russ survived the incident and, like many who served alongside David, continues to carry the memory of that day and of his mate.
For our CEO, Mack McCormack, who also served with the SAS and completed two counter-terrorism tours, David was more than a name in history. He was a friend, a fellow operator, and a man who represented the highest standards of professionalism and courage expected of Australia’s special forces.
Naming this new facility after David is Saferight’s way of ensuring his story, and the sacrifice made by him and his family, is not forgotten.
A Mural That Tells a Story
To mark this tribute, Saferight commissioned local artist Jake Butler, known as “Shakey Jake”, to create a mural at our Fremantle facility.
The artwork depicts David and his team in a training setting, capturing the intensity, focus and quiet professionalism of those who work in the shadows to keep others safe. It is more than a piece of art on a wall; it is a daily reminder to everyone who walks through our doors of the real human cost behind the word “service”.
We were honoured to have David’s family present at the unveiling of the mural. Their presence made the moment deeply personal and meaningful, reminding us that behind every uniform there is a family, a story, and a legacy that continues long after service ends.
20 Mews Road: A Sea Survival Training Centre With a Purpose
The tribute mural is located at our Fremantle facility at 20 Mews Road, South Fremantle, which will become Saferight’s dedicated Sea Survival Training Centre for the maritime industry.
From this site, we plan to deliver specialised sea survival and maritime safety training to support:
- Offshore oil and gas workers
- Marine and port personnel
- Defence and emergency response teams
- Commercial maritime operators
By naming this centre after David O’Callaghan, we are deliberately tying our future work in maritime safety to the legacy of someone who operated at the highest level of maritime counter-terrorism.
Every trainee who passes through this facility will do so under David’s name — a constant reminder that training, preparedness and respect for risk are not just concepts; they are matters of life and death.
A Veteran-Founded Organisation, Built on Service
Saferight’s story is inseparable from the service background of its founder. Mack McCormack served 16 years in the Australian Army, including two counter-terrorism tours with the SAS Regiment, before turning his focus to training and safety in the civilian world.
The principles he lived by in uniform now shape Saferight’s approach to training:
- Discipline and preparation – no shortcuts, no compromise on standards
- Teamwork and trust – learning to look after the person next to you
- Courage and responsibility – owning your role when it matters most
The David O’Callaghan Sea Survival Training Centre brings these principles together in a setting that directly supports those working in some of the most challenging maritime environments in the world.
A Lasting Legacy
The mural at 20 Mews Road and the naming of the Sea Survival Training Centre are just two ways we are honouring David’s memory — but they are also a reminder of something bigger.
They remind us that:
- Behind every safety standard is a lesson learned, often the hard way.
- Behind every training evolution is a story of someone who didn’t make it home.
- Behind every high-risk ticket is a responsibility to do the job safely, for yourself and for your team.
In honouring David O’Callaghan and acknowledging Russ Becker and others involved in that 1982 Bass Strait operation, we are committing ourselves to a standard that matches their professionalism and courage.
At Saferight, we don’t just train for qualifications.
We train for life — and we remember those who gave theirs in the service of others.
