60 Minutes Australia

2014-10-26 (2014x36)

Date de diffusion: Oct 26, 2014

John of God Shallow Water Blackout U2 Bruce and Denise John of God John of God claims he can cure any disease. He’s a Brazilian spiritual leader who’s been courted and praised by everyone from Presidents to Oprah Winfrey. Tens of thousands of sick and elderly people flock to his casa every year in the hope they’ll be cured of their diseases. He operates on some of them, and claims to deliver divine healing onto others. It’s big business, too: from therapeutic crystal beds, to blessed bottled water and costly magic pills, John of God’s devotees must dig deep into their pockets for the healing and enlightenment. Now he’s bringing his religious show to Australia next month, so Michael Usher went to investigate John of God’s medical and spiritual credentials. Reporter: Michael Usher Producers: Phil Goyen, Grace Tobin Shallow Water Blackout One moment 12-year-old Jack MacMillan was happily splashing about in the family pool. Within minutes, he was dead. There was no cry for help, no desperate fight for his final breath. Jack was the victim of a deadly but little-known condition called Shallow Water Blackout. It’s brought on by the simple act of holding your breath underwater and its thought to be the number one cause of drowning among competent swimmers. Kids are at risk in backyard pools right across the country and, believe it or not, they’re even more at risk in swim squads at the local public pool. Swimming Australia is scrambling to re-issue it’s guidelines around hypoxic training but, as Allison Langdon discovered, even our top swimming coaches can’t agree on what’s safe for our kids. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Lincoln Howes U2 Over the last 40 years, U2 has risen from the rough streets of Dublin to become global superstars. Just last month they caused a sensation when their latest album was released to Apple’s half a billion iTunes account holders, for free. Some critics said it smacked of desperation, wh