When James* saw flood waters rising around his home in NSW during the February floods, his number one concern was getting his wife out safely.

The water was rising rapidly, and it began to come in their front windows. They were trapped.

“I thought I was going to drown; I was so scared,” James said

“The water was entering our house via our front windows when we heard a voice say, ‘Is anybody in here?’. They were surf lifesavers with an inflatable rescue boat. They assisted my wife and I into the boat and we motored down the street while our home and cars went underwater. We lost everything. We were soaking wet in brown smelly water but saved. I can’t thank the surf lifesavers enough – they are the greatest people.”

If it weren't for surf lifesavers coming to the rescue of him and his wife, James knows they may not still be here.

James is sharing his story to create awareness of the invaluable services volunteer surf lifesavers provide. By sharing your story of how a surf lifesaver has helped you, we can inspire others to support our mission, donate, volunteer or spread our water safety messages.

While surf lifesavers are best known for their lifesaving work on Australian beaches, their services extend far beyond the coastline.

Their skills, expertise and equipment are also an asset in times of natural disasters, such as fires and floods. They also carry first aid and other emergency response skills with them wherever they go, allowing them to provide untold benefits to communities in times of need.

Let us know how our volunteer surf lifesavers have helpeed you by getting in contact with us HERE.

*Name changed for privacy reasons