“It all changed in the blink of an eye,” said Guy Russo, who with his partner and friend Mo had ventured to the Gold Coast from Victoria for a quick break to bring in the new year.

Not the strongest of swimmers, the trio headed onto the relatively shallow sandbank just before midday on a postcard-esque New Years Day. The beach was heaving, the water clear and Guy ventured with Mo deeper onto the sandbank, regularly waving back to his partner who stayed closer to shore.

“Even though we were quite a long way out from the beach, it was still only ankle-to-knee deep,” said Guy. “You’d get a few waves that lift you, knock you around but then you regain your feet and it’s all a bit of fun.”

 

But things can change quickly in the surf, and the small sets which were ‘fun’ suddenly turned into something far more frightening.

 

“After a while we found ourselves with maybe 8 or 10 other people as the furthest people out when quite a large surge came through and we went from water up to our knees to not being able to touch the bottom anymore,” recalled Guy. “It all happened pretty instantaneously and without any real warning.

 

“At the same time there was a rip which was taking us out towards the southern end and away from the flags. That all happened in the space of less than 20 seconds. One minute you’re touching the bottom, then the set of waves just kept coming.

 

“I was very quickly uncomfortable - I can’t touch the bottom, I can feel I’m being pulled out and the waves are quite high.”

 

While concerned with his own predicament, despite a childhood of swimming lessons and squads, Guy held more concerns for his Abu Dhabi-raised friend whose background in the water was far more limited.

 

One thing in the pair’s favour was that the concerning events unravelling in the surf were not only abundantly clear to the tourists, but also to Kilo Patrol members who surveyed the water for swimmers who may be in strife after the troublesome set swept through.

 

Patrol Captain Chris Ellis had been keeping a watchful eye on the New Years Day revelers and quickly saw a situation which may require intervention.

 

“We had about a metre-and-a-half of swell running that day, but they were in that midzone on the second sandbank,” said Chris. “At one stage they’re touching the sandbank, the next they’re not and they find themselves being hit by waves.”

 

Guy looked around and thankfully spotted Mo.

 

But he was out of reach. A full set behind Guy. Mo was panicking. He was asking for help. A large wave came and Mo drifted over the top and down the other side.

 

“The wave didn’t break on him, but that was it - I never saw him again.”

 

Guy was already in an unnerving situation for his own ability and knew it would take too long for him to even attempt to make contact with his friend. “I’d be going even further into an area where I was already uncomfortable,” he said. “I felt really bad; I felt my friend was about to die but I needed to turn around and start swimming to the shore because I couldn’t help him - I wasn’t equipped to save someone.”

 

As Guy struggled towards where he thought the sandbank would present itself again, a calm, elderly local told him to relax, not waste his energy and eventually they’d regain their feet.

 

The local was right.

 

After a couple of minutes he was back on the sandbank, but the gravity of the wave surge hit home as Guy witnessed others also being assisted back to safety by fellow swimmers.

 

Once he regained his feet, Guy only had one thing on his mind: Mo.

 

“I’m still about 50 metres from the beach and I’m running and I’m running, waving my arms for what felt like another minute or two,” he said, “and before I got to the shore I finally saw the surf lifesaver see me.

 

“Eventually he waves to me and I start pointing in the direction of my friend. He then pointed off to my right and I saw surf lifesavers on their boards already heading out. It was like he was saying ‘we know, we’re going to help’.”

 

Unbeknownst to Guy on his arduous journey back to the beach, Kilo Patrol had already hit the water and were on their way to save Mo.

 

“Once we saw the signals from out the back we put two-and-two together and could tell that he was just not a strong swimmer,” said Chris. “Usually if a strong swimmer gets in that situation, panic doesn’t set straight in; they know just to float and eventually they’ll get back onto the sandbank or get into a position where they can swim back in.”

 

Like a well-oiled machine, Kilo Patrol were on the job before Chris - in his first season as Patrol Captain - could even issue instructions.

 

“By the time I turned around to let my patrol know, they were already springing into action,” said Chris. “My son Cody grabbed a board alongside another bronze [medallion] member Simon Payne and they proceeded to paddle out.

 

“It was quick thinking from the guys in the inflatable rescue boat (IRB) too (club trainer and IRB driver Ryan James and crew member Brad Birch) who made their way to the patient.

 

“Cody got to within about four metres of the patient when the IRB arrived. The IRB got him into the boat and got him back to shore.”

 

It had taken Guy more than five minutes to make it back to the sand. He was exhausted, and was struggling to breathe. Coughing. He’d swallowed water. He felt terrible but couldn’t help but think, “how are they going to make it in time?”

 

The answer came surprisingly quickly.

 

“I turned to the other side of the beach on the northern side of the flags, and this IRB speeds up from the water and lands on the shore,” said Guy, “and my friend climbs out of the boat, like 15 seconds after I’d made it back.”

 

Skin purple, coughing and spluttering, Mo was safe. Upon reaching the sand he motioned to surf lifesavers for them to save his friend, however they quickly alerted Mo that Guy was already back on the beach.

 

“He had taken on a lot of water and was throwing up over the side of the boat, which was good,” said Chris, “and when they got him to shore he was spent, no energy at all.”

 

Having suffered a non-fatal drowning through the excessive inhalation of water, Mo was dizzy, unable to walk properly and disorientated. Eventually paramedics cleared him without having to go to hospital, but the message from surf lifesavers was loud and clear.

 

“Later on they told us that because we swam between the flags, it enabled them to save my friend Mo so quickly,” said Guy. “The surf lifesavers could see what was unfolding whereas if we weren’t between the flags to start with they said ‘if they can’t see us, they can’t save us’.”

 

Had the situation occurred outside the red and yellow flags, could the situation have been much more dark for Mo? Patrol Captain Chris is adamant: “Definitely”.

 

The next few days were incredibly hard for the two mates from Melbourne. Traumatised by a life-changing incident, it helped to return to the beach and chat with on-duty surf lifesavers about what had transpired.

 

“We just have so much respect now for the surf lifesavers - my friend would not be here if it wasn’t for them,” said Guy. “It was just part of their day, but it was a huge thing for us.

 

“We spoke to them about how many rescues they were doing, but they all just carried on, smiles on their faces and my respect for them just went through the roof.

 

“The fact they’re volunteers as well - it’s not their career, it’s not what they get paid for - it just brought it front of mind for me and my family that supporting them moving forward is really important.”

 

And support they have. Upon returning home Guy made a sizable donation to the Surf Life Saving Foundation and has committed to supporting the organisation into the future.

 

“They’re part of our Australian culture and something we really want to support.”

 

While Guy, his family and friends have now pledged to continue to back our volunteer surf lifesavers by contributing financially to the future, Surf Life Saving requires more funds each season to supply and replenish essential rescue equipment and training resources.

That is why we’re asking you, our silent heroes, if you could donate to ensure volunteer surf lifesavers like Chris, Cody, Simon, Ryan and Brad, and surf lifesaving clubs such as Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park are able to perform their roles to the standard the community has come to expect.