Young blood saving lives on Noosa Main Beach

Noosa SLSC youngsters are proving to be real lifesavers

Young Noosa lifesavers Jed Hamblin, Jackson Smith andEddie Walter. Picture: Contributed

NOOSA Head Surf Life Saving Club's future for possibly the next half century has taken centre stage at a sponsor's breakfast and every fibre of some of these young lifesaving recruits has already been put to the test and rescued lives out in the break.

None more so than 13-year-olds Eddie Walter, Jackson Smith and Jed Hamblin, who during the big swells and on only their second beach patrol, dug deep during a mass rescue of 20 people about 3pm on a busy afternoon.

Club president Ross Fisher told guests the three has just obtained their surf rescue certificate and they did not hesitate to head for the water and become involved in the rescues.

Ross said in the debrief after the rescues, Noosa's head lifeguard Isaac Smith said "not just what a fantastic job the volunteer patrol did, but what a fantastic job these three young boys did”.

Eddie, who was at the breakfast, is keen to turn 15 and is doing his bronze medallion.

"It was pretty hectic that day, big swell, probably the biggest swell I've been out of ... a bit scared, but it was good fun saving lives and being helpful to the surf club,” Eddie said.

Ross also praised the efforts of Jack Mohr, the 16-year-old clubbie who saved a woman from a rip in big surf at Peregian Beach that same day. The club's oldest life member Phil Cave then congratulated Jack and made a special presentation.

A big part of the breakfast was highlighting the efforts of the club's Summer Surf Girl entrant Oliver Blight, a former Noosa nipper turned patrol captain who won't let having an artificial pancreas slow her down when doing her duties.

Ross said all the funds raised for Olivier's Summer Surf Girl "will be coming back to the club and allocated to our youth”.

He hailed the medical engineer honours student as a club leader who understands young people, works with the nippers march past team and "she's the perfect person to represent this club”.

Olivier said: "I've had a few adversities, but nothing that I can't conquer. Anything's possible, just because you've got something challenging medically, doesn't mean you can't do anything you need to do.”

The breakfast had began by presenting another young club Jack Frey to the guests as one of only eight students in Queensland to be give an Premier's Anzac Prize to travel to France's Western Front this April to mark the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux.

Jack has overcome health issues and now raises funds to support the service veterans charity Mates for Mates. The teenager, who said patrolling was "fantastic” and had met a lot of good people between the red and yellow flags, said he would be going to "just to say thank you” and pay respect to the more than 46,000 Australian soldiers who were killed on the Western Front.

Rotary Club of Noosa presented $2000 towards the surf club's junior youth leadership program to send young leaders to a development course in 2019. Rotary's Tess Alexandroff said her club's theme this year was "making a difference in our community and that's what we're about, and that's why we're so pleased to be involved with the surf club this year”.

Ross said: "I can't think of anything that gives me a greater privilege or moves me more than recognising somebody that saved somebody's life. These guys don't want anything, they just do what they do.”