"They were having fun near the shore one minute and next minute you hear them screaming, taken out by the rip. It was instant.”
Six young surf lifesavers make a heroic after hours rescue.
Braith Davidson, Volunteer Surf Lifesaver, Kiama Surf Life Saving Club
It was around half an hour after-patrol hours at Kiama Beach on Saturday 18th November 2023, and six young friends were playing on their boogie boards when they heard frightened screams.
Braith Davidson, Zach Marsden, Harrison Smee, Alex Norris, Max Laird are all members of the Kiama Surf Life Saving Club. All under the age of 15, they recently completed vital lifesaving training, whilst their friend, 12-year-old George Griffin, is a keen nipper.
Alerted by the screams, the group realised six people were desperately struggling in the water in the middle of the beach, caught in a rip.
“We were up the north end of the beach, and there were some pretty big waves coming in, and a rip had popped up right in the middle of the beach,” said George.
“The group were having fun near the shore one minute and then the next minute you hear them screaming as they were taken out by the rip. It was instant,” Braith added.
“Once we heard the screams, we were all thinking ‘this is a real rescue,’ said George. “My first thought was, ‘this can’t be happening.
“I was pretty scared, but then our surf rescue training kicked in quickly.
“All six of us paddled over. Three kids and two teenagers had been dragged out in the rip, and a mother had seen her kids out there and tried to swim out and save them,” George said.
“Everyone was panicking. All the kids were screaming” Braith added.
By the time the young heroes reached the group, the distressed swimmers were in real danger fighting against the power of the rip, the children unable to keep afloat.
"I got to an eight/nine-year-old kid called Matt” said George, “and by the time I got to him he was completely under water, just his hand above the surface of the water, so I was pretty worried.
"It was shocking, but we just had to do what we could,” the brave 12-year-old said.
“At this point we're all thinking, how are we going to get them in, because we had the choice to either try and swim in against the current, which the swimmers had just been pulled out in.
“But it wasn't likely that we were going to be able to paddle in against the current. We made the choice to come a little bit further south instead and wait for a break in the sets and the big waves. And we saw a gap between the sets and just said, ‘All right, let's go’,” he said.
“We’d had patrol that day and we've had all this training and we stayed calm. We got them on the boards and paddled them in, but they were still screaming. All our boys here were just trying to calm them down. Even local surfers were coming in and helping with the rescue and we got everyone back to shore safely,” Braith said.
“In at the end, we're all very grateful that everyone was okay,” George said.
The group said their training and the skills learnt at nippers and throughout their lifesaving journey so far, were invaluable to bringing everyone to shore.
“The most crucial part of this was just to stay calm and really use the skills that have been taught to us when we're doing these drills and practicing. Our training is so essential and beneficial for us when we're rescuing these people,” said Zach.
“We really worked as a team; everyone went to one swimmer. We weren’t panicked. It was like second nature to us. That weekend three of us were doing our Bronze Medallion, and that training really helped us to stay calm in the moment and make sure everyone we were rescuing stayed calm and okay, and we got the job done,” said Alex.
“It is so good that we could get out there on time, because if we weren’t there, it could have ended up badly. We’re just thankful that we were all out there at the right time and we’re so glad that no one got hurt,” Harrison said.
“Everyone just communicated so well, and we all worked together like we'd had countless of shifts together,” added Alex.
“And when we all went back home and told our parents, and they were pretty stoked about what we did,” Harrison said.
“It was just a pretty surreal situation to be in and it was just a great experience to be able to use our skills and the practice we’ve had in this. And my parents were very proud too. Not every kid can save teens and little kids and a mother, and all at once too, so you feel really proud of yourself for doing all of this,” said Zach.
“After the rescue, we came in and the beach was pretty packed for after hours. We all got a standing ovation. There was a great sense of pride and it was an awesome feeling,” Alex added.
Phil Perry, President of the Kiama SLSC, said the boys reacted bravely in the unpredictable conditions.
“They put themselves on the line. Their training just kicked in and they performed admirably, so we’re so proud of them,” he said.
David Griffin, Junior President of Kiama Surf Life Saving Club, is also George’s father.
He said “as the parent of one of the rescuers, your natural response is to be very proud, and we’re very proud of all the boys. They were working as a team and they were able to support each other.
“We’re thrilled with the boys. What we saw was a lot of the nipper training coming through and being applied outside surf lifesaving. It shows on many levels both the confidence in their own ability and the understanding of what’s required to perform a rescue not just in their own right, but also as a team, so there are so many elements that we’re thrilled to see.
“All those boys have been in nippers since they were six. The ultimate goal with nippers is to develop the next generation of surf lifesavers, so I think we saw that really coming into fruition.
“Most of the boys had already done their Surf Rescue Certificate and some had done their Bronze Medallion. So that training has been gradually building and they were able to execute all that training within that rescue, and it was a real tribute to everything that has gone into the Nippers Program and all the training and developmental certificates along the way,” David said.
“It’s great to do nippers, and it's great that I know in the future that I'm going to be a volunteer surf lifesaver, because it's something you can use for the rest of your life. I really enjoyed coming down here to the beach helping out the community and just hanging out with my mates,” added George.
“Doing this gives you life skills as well. It’s good knowing that with the training we undergo as volunteer surf lifesavers, if there is someone in need of assistance, you have the skills to go out and help them,” Harrison added.
The quick actions of these young teenage heroes in drawing on the skills gained from their lifesaving training, shows why Surf Life Saving need your help.
Training and upskilling our volunteers comes at a cost; for example the Bronze Medallion training undertaken by two of the young rescuers that very weekend of the rescue, costs at least $850.
But it doesn’t stop there. Volunteer surf lifesavers are extensively trained in First Aid, CPR, and rescue techniques. Importantly, all our volunteer surf lifesavers must continue to refresh and update their skills, so they are ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever we need them most.
Then there is the cost of rescue and communication equipment to support our volunteer surf lifesavers to perform lifesaving rescues quickly and efficiently.
To put all this into perspective just one surf lifesaving patrol can cost $80,000.
David spoke to us about how important supporters are the Surf Life Saving movement, and how imperative fundraising is to the heroic work volunteer surf lifesavers do.
“Fundraising is such an important component for volunteer surf lifesaving. Fundraising gives us the ability to maintain the club and to have the equipment necessary to carry out our patrols and engage with the community. It is so critical to the day-to-day management and the running of surf lifesaving clubs,” he said.
“We’re really grateful to have the equipment like rescue tubes and boards and the training that we get from nippers,” added George.
“With that equipment we can get to people who are in need as fast as possible, whether they’re caught in a rip or whatever trouble they're in,” Harrison added.
“And we’re just thankful to all the staff members who help us with the training and skills because we wouldn’t be able to do this without everyone's help, from the Surf Life Saving Club to the whole community,” Braith added.
This summer we have a formidable target of $590,990 to raise to support our volunteer surf lifesavers to provide vital lifesaving services and provide essential surf safety education to help keep our Australian beaches safer as we enjoy the warmer weather.
And we desperately need your help.
Surf Life Saving is a charity, and we rely on the support of our generous supporters to ensure our volunteer surf lifesavers are trained, equipped and ready to respond whenever you, I, or our loved ones need their help.
And whether your donation is large or small, you can be assured it is appreciated by those at the front-line.
Please help us reach our vital target this summer with a tax-deductible donation and help our heroes on the beach continue their lifesaving mission and make our beaches safer for you, your children, your grandchildren, your loved ones, and your community to enjoy.
You are invaluable to our mission. Your donation is vital to supporting Surf Life Saving and our volunteer surf lifesavers like the young heroes who rescued six precious lives in Kiama last summer.
Our supporters are our heroes behind the scenes and together we are building a legacy of saving lives that will continue for generations to come.