12-yr-old nipper saves woman’s life on Sunshine Coast

A 12-year-old Surfers Paradise nipper has saved a woman’s life on the Sunshine Coast. Here’s what happened.

Surfers Paradise nipper Ari Hamill. Image: Supplied.

A 12-year-old nipper from Surfers Paradise has saved a woman’s life while training on the Sunshine Coast.

Ari Hamill, from Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, was in Mooloolaba preparing for Friday’s Surf Life Saving Queensland Youth Championships when he heard a woman was in trouble.

Hamill’s coach and father Zayne began to swim out to the woman, but with his board already in hand, Hamill paddled out to the woman, helped her onto his board and took her to safety.

“I didn’t see her get in trouble but I was just finishing up my board session that my dad was coaching me on,” Hamill said.

“Somebody came over and said there was a lady in trouble, so my dad ran over and swam out and I ran over and paddled out.

“I gave her my board so that she could rest on it and I helped her in [to shore].

“It happened near all the rocks and she was being swept off her feet and sucked out to sea,” he said.

While Hamill is still too young to be on patrol, his five years involvement in nippers provided him with the surf survival and rescue skills to confidently save a life.

Hamill said “it felt good” to save her life and get his first rescue until his belt.

Surf Life Saving Queensland General Manager Kurt Wilson said the bravery shown by the aspiring surf lifesaver demonstrated exactly what nippers is all about.

“Our nippers program is all about producing tomorrow’s surf lifesavers and young Ari is a great example of what the program is designed to do and that is to teach young people vital surf safety skills,” Wilson said.

“The lady was lucky Ari was there to help, otherwise the outcome could have been very different.

“We have over 12,800 nippers across Queensland, with 1,500 competing over the next three days at our Youth Championships, all of whom are equipped with surf safety skills.

“Last season alone our volunteer surf lifesaver performed more than 149,000 rescues, but that takes into account rescues like Ari that perform outside of patrol hours.

“I must commend Ari and his Dad Zayne for their quick thinking yesterday … his lifesaving journey has only just begun.”

Hamill will now spend the next three days racing for Surfers Paradise Club in the hopes to take home a medal at the Championships.

Originally published as 12-yr-old nipper saves woman’s life on Sunshine Coast