Brothers rescue mum and daughter from surf at Moana Beach

Two brothers and an amazing chain of events have saved a mother and her teenage daughter from drowning off a southern suburbs beach.

Surf lifesavers Tom and Michael Knauer rescued a mother and daughter from the water at Moana Beach. Picture: Matt Turner

Two brothers have saved the lives of a mother and daughter who became distressed while swimming off a southern suburbs beach.

The incredible rescue was pulled off with just a minute between tragedy in what surf life savers say serves as a reminder of the dangers of the ocean.

In a chain of events that aligned to save the pair’s lives, a nine-year-old Nipper was walking along Moana Beach just after 7pm Tuesday when he spotted what he believed to be a single swimmer in distress.

His stepmother phoned triple-0 and raced to the Moana Beach Surf Life Saving Club while his dad alerted another beachgoer with a jetski who then raced out.

Michael (standing) and Tom Knauer said another 60 seconds could have meant the difference between life and death for the mother and daughter rescued from Moana beach. Picture Matt Turner.

The teenage girl chats to ambulance officers after being rescued by two brothers while swimming off Moana Beach. Picture: 7NEWS

Once at the clubhouse, brothers Michael and Tom Knauer were finishing up a workout at the gym when they jumped into action, racing to the beach.

Another 60 seconds could have meant the difference to the lucky rescue, Michael said.

“We put our Speedos on and got the boards out and paddled out there as fast as we could; we got out there and found out they were both in distress,” Michael said.

“Lucky Tom was on my tail on the board and got there and did what we could to bring them in as quick as we could.

“The mother was sort of pretty much going under and her head was under, and the daughter was trying to hold her up.”

The 17-year-old and her 55-year-old mother were about 350m from shore when the brothers reached them. Picture: 7NEWS

The rescue happened just after 7pm Tuesday. Picture: 7NEWS

Michael said the 17-year-old and her 55-year-old mother were about 350m from shore, and clearly exhausted when the brothers reached them.

“We let her catch her breath before I rolled her on the board and do that while also talking to the daughter,” he said.

“I think if we had been another minute or so, she would have been under.”

The brothers said another 60 seconds could have meant the difference to the lucky rescue. Picture: 7NEWS

Michael brought the older woman in while Tom rescued the teenage girl.

“We just paddled against the headwind so it was pretty hard work, especially after the gym.”

Both were assessed on shore, with the mother taken to hospital suspected to have taken on some water.

The swimmers were believed to have been pulled offshore in strong winds soon after they lost the depth of the beach.

Two swimmers have been rescued by lifeguards after getting into trouble at Moana Beach. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | https://t.co/8ftPfGgvkq#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/WllZAVzOFe

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Michael said the surf was “pretty choppy” and it “took a bit to find them”.

“I just hope they’re OK and not scared of the ocean, and they keep coming back,” he said.

He said he had been patrolling for about 20 years, and it was the first rescue he had been involved in.

Lifesaving and emergency operations manager Sean Faulkner said the mum and daughter were incredibly lucky the brothers were at the clubhouse, and the Nipper and his family were trained and aware of what to do to alert about a swimmer in distress.

“We’re amazingly lucky of the vigilance and awareness of young Harley (nine-year-old) and his friends at the beach,” Mr Faulkner said.

“It’s just stressed to us the importance of surf life saver training.

“Without the swift intervention of all involved, this story would have had a much more tragic outcome.

“It has been described as a near-drowning, it is very possible that this could have resulted in a fatality.”