“One woman had started going under the water. I headed to her first and directed Ruby and Ava to the other swimmers in need. I pulled the woman up out of the water and onto my board. She was clearly struggling and very distressed, asking for me not to let her die.” Morgan Williams, Maroochydore SLC
Australia Day dawned hot and sunny on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Families and friends flocked to the beach to soak up the sun, play in the surf, and enjoy the public holiday together.
Among them were teenagers, Morgan Williams (19) and her 13-year-old twin sisters, Ava and Ruby, young volunteer surf lifesavers from Maroochydore SLSC. The girls were off-duty, enjoying a BBQ at Maroochydore Beach amongst hundreds of other beachgoers – laughing, playing in the surf on their boards, and enjoying family time.
Just as they were about to leave for the day, Morgan saw something alarming. Four people had been caught in a flash rip, frantically struggling against its power about 100 metres off-shore – the safety of the red and yellow flags almost 400 metres up the beach, where hundreds of swimmers were enjoying a safe Australia Day under the watchful eye of the volunteer surf lifesavers on patrol.
Knowing that just seconds could mean the difference between life and tragedy in a situation like this, Morgan leapt to action.
“As soon as I saw them in trouble, I turned to my sisters and said, ‘let’s go, let’s go get them!’ It was instinct. We saw people struggling and we had the ability, the training, and the tools to go and help them. So, we acted.
“As soon as I saw them in trouble, I turned to my sisters and said, ‘let’s go, let’s go get them!’ It was instinct. We saw people struggling and we had the ability, the training, and the tools to go and help them. So, we acted.
“I immediately told my sisters to grab their boards, and we raced down to the water and paddled straight out,” Morgan said.
The swimmers were in a terrifyingly desperate situation, struggling against the power of the rip, dangerously close to losing their fight to stay afloat.
“One woman had started going under the water,” Morgan recalled. “I headed to her first and directed Ruby and Ava to the other swimmers in need. I pulled the woman up out of the water and onto my board. She was clearly struggling and very distressed, asking for me not to let her die.
“By this stage, Ruby had paddled further out the back. There was a larger man there who was really, really struggling – he was semi-conscious, and we later found out he had a medical condition and that was impacting him. Ruby had one of the stronger swimmers help her get the man onto her board and then directed that swimmer to a nearby sandbank, until she could go back out and retrieve him.
“We called over the roving Jet Ski, who called for the Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) from the patrol to assist with Ruby’s patient.
“Ava got hold of another man and was able to bring him in close to shore. I returned to the shore with the woman and gave her First Aid as she had taken on a lot of water, while Ruby picked up the last swimmer who had slipped off the sandbank.
“Once back on shore, we got a member of the public to run down to the Maroochydore SLSC patrol arena, and the volunteer surf lifesavers on duty came straight away with the First Aid kit and oxygen. They helped us monitor the swimmers until the ambulance came and they were taken to hospital.”
“It was all pretty hectic, but we all used our training and worked together to save the swimmers from the rip and bring them into shore.
“I am super proud of my 13-year-old sisters, for how they acted in this situation, considering they had only just completed their Surf Rescue Certificate. It’s one thing to perform a mass rescue when you are on patrol surrounded by other team members, but quite another to jump up from your ‘snags’ and ‘lammos’ and rescue four people.”
The young sisters had just saved four people’s lives.
A lifesaving mission with an enormous impact
This summer, thousands of people’s lives will be saved by volunteer surf lifesavers. It might be a child caught in a rip. A swimmer who’s gone out too far. Or a mother struggling in treacherous surf. It could be you or your loved ones. You never know when you might need us, but with your support we can be there when you need us most.
The National Coastal Safety Report (NCSR) 2024/25, highlights the immense need for beach safety across our coastlines, and the incredible effort and dedication of our heroes, like the Williams sisters, who provide it.
Over the past year, volunteer surf lifesavers saved the lives of 8,207 people. These aren’t just numbers - each rescue represents a future safeguarded and a family spared heartbreak.
Tragically, 154 people lost their lives to coastal drowning last year, all outside the red and yellow flags, patrol times, or at unpatrolled locations.
As we move into the summer holidays, the NCSR also reminds us of the higher risk, 3.3 times greater, of drowning on public holidays – a sobering statistic that mirrors the exact scenario at Maroochydore Beach that Australia Day, and the heartbreaking tragedy that was desperately close to occurring were the Williams sisters not on the beach.
In fact, two people from the group who the sisters rescued returned to Maroochydore Beach later that month to say thank you to Morgan, Ava and Ruby for saving their lives – in their own words they said, “we’d not be here without them”.
Thankfully, those four swimmers were given a second chance at life.
Because of the Williams sisters.
Because of their bravery and courage.
Because of their quick-thinking and training.
And because of YOUR support.
How you can help save lives this summer:
This festive season, we’re asking you to give the most meaningful gift of all: safety.
Morgan, Ava, and Ruby are part of a proud Surf Life Saving tradition. Everyday Australians doing extraordinary things. Their story is testament to the incredible impact volunteer surf lifesavers have on communities across Australia. An impact that is made possible by the generous support of Surf Life Saving’s donors like you.