“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. 

“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. 

Your donation will directly support lifesaving training, equipment, and surf safety education across Australia. Through your donation, you’ll be joining heroes like the Williams sisters, in saving lives and helping make our beaches safer for everyone. Working together, we can reduce the number of tragedies on our coastlines. 

Training the next generation of volunteer surf lifesavers 

The sisters represent the next generation of lifesavers who are ensuring our lifesaving legacy lives on. Young people who are ready to act when it matters most - confident, capable, and prepared thanks to their training - training that is only made possible because of their dedication and your support - a shared mission to protect beachgoers and save precious lives. 

They’ve all grown up attending Nippers, they’ve trained hard – hours of their own spare time - to learn the vital patrol, rescue, and First Aid skills to earn their Bronze Medallions, and now they patrol Maroochydore Beach together, something that Morgan says she loves doing with her sisters. Each sister contributes up to 80 volunteer hours every summer, not counting their important water safety roles for the club’s Nipper program, and the hours they put in training for their other passion of surf sports. 

Morgan, who is also studying to be a secondary teacher, has now completed intense training to take on the role of a Patrol Captain. She’s also completed her qualifications to be part of the club’s education team and is helping train the next generation of lifesavers. 

“It’s so fulfilling,” she says. “Volunteering is about giving back to the community, and it’s such a good feeling keeping people safe and helping educate them, and training other volunteers too. 

“Sometimes for beachgoers, it’s not a matter of not wanting to do the right thing, it’s just not knowing what the right thing is. I find it really fulfilling being able to educate the public on important surf safety information. 

“Swim between the red and yellow flags. That’s the bottom line. No matter how busy it gets. This is where you are safest. The swimmers fell off a sand bank and into a flash rip, which shows how quickly it can all happen. If we hadn’t been down that end of the beach that day, I don't really want to think what would have happened.” 

Please stand beside our heroes like Morgan, Ava, and Ruby and give the gift of safety this holiday season. By donating to Surf Life Saving, you are joining our lifesaving mission and helping protect lives across our Aussie beaches. 

Let’s make this summer a safe one. Surf Life Saving needs heroes like you. 

P.S - Education is so important to helping save lives, and another powerful way you can join our lifesaving mission is by completing your Beach Passport, a free virtual course that teaches you and your loved ones how to stay safe at the beach. Click here to get your Beach Passport stamped today!