A Year 6 end of school celebration almost ended in tragedy when a large group of children and parents were caught in a strong rip at Wamberal beach and unable to make it back to shore.
Luckily a Bronze Medallion class for trainee lifesavers was being held at the surf club that night, December 14, when one of the frantic parents raced in at about 8.15pm to raise the alarm.
The whole incident was an amazing series of happy coincidences said Craig Adams, who is the surf club’s director of lifesaving and education.
“The kids were having their Year 6 formal upstairs in the clubhouse and I suppose that in their excitement they decided to jump into the water, fully clothed, which made it difficult to swim,” he said.
“We were doing our Bronze theory exams when a Mum raced in to raise the alarm that the kids were in trouble.
“I was a little bit incredulous because it’s not usual for people to be swimming at 8.30,” he said.
The four trainee lifesavers sprang into action, grabbing boards and racing into the water while Adams ran to the lookout to survey the situation.
“I just couldn’t believe it, I was quite shocked to see all these heads bobbing in the water, and they’d drifted quite a way out,” Adams said.
Sixteen children and four adults were saved from drowning that night.
“It was probably a text book case of what can go wrong when people think an area of the surf looks like a calm spot but that’s where the rip is – it’s much safer in the waves because that’s where the sandbank is,” Adams said.
“We went straight to the woman who was in most distress, she was in a lot of trouble and drowning, and we had about six or seven kids screaming and crying, clinging to each of the boards.
“It was almost impossible to paddle with all those kids on the board but eventually we manoeuvred to the side of the rip and with the help of the waves came on to a sandbank where we were able to stand up and then get the kids ashore.
“They were so distressed and so panicked that most of them wouldn’t let go of the boards, they were so scared and just froze, even when they could stand up in the water.
“It was freezing cold and once they were all ashore it was hot showers and blankets, lots of people in shock and some of them on oxygen until the Ambulance paramedics arrived,” Adams said.
In another stroke of luck, one of the state’s most highly skilled first aid teachers, Ramzy Fawzy, was there too, to conduct assessments of the trainee lifesavers.
The rescuers were Michael McPherson, Lee Szlachetka, Andrew Oakley, Jane Brennan along with their instructors Craig Adams and Ramzy Fawzy.
“It was just incredible luck we were all there and without being overly dramatic, if we weren’t there it would have been a very different headline,” Adams said.
“I just want to say how proud I am of how the lifesavers performed given what they were faced with – they acted like true professionals, like seasoned veterans.
“It was quite a chaotic scene and I am very impressed with my Bronze squad,” Adams said.
It probably goes without saying, they have ticked off the board rescue part of their Bronze Medallion training.
Sue Murray