Evans Head lifesavers rescue two 6-year-old boys

Quick thinking off-duty surf lifesavers has prevented what may have been a Christmas tragedy.

Quick thinking young off-duty surf lifesavers has averted what may have become a Christmas tragedy on the NSW North Coast.

The group of young volunteers saw two six-year-old boys knocked from their body boards into a rip at Evans Head Main beach last week.

After their morning surf, the teenagers attended surf heat training with World Surf League championship qualifier and Evans Head surfer Callum Robson onshore when they noticed something was wrong in the water.

Two boys were playing in the surf when they were knocked from their body boards by a large wave.

The youngsters became stuck in a rip that was rapidly sweeping them out to sea and were struggling to stay above the water.

15-year-old Charlie Ticknor, Oliver Arragon, 14, Sol Novak, 14, and 12-year-old Max McGillivray and Ned Barany raced into action.

Max’s father Michael was at the beach and saw the boys tear off into the surf.

“The boys had just done a training session with Callum Robson when the boys noticed a couple little boys getting dragged out to sea in a rip,” he said.

“From what I saw, one of them lost a boogie board and I could see him going under and thought “this is gonna get pretty close” whether they get to him in time or not and sure enough they got out there pretty quick.

“I’ve never seen them move so fast to be honest.”

The new recruits reached the struggling boys and together dragged them back to shore.

“The other lifeguard had swum out at that stage and got to them on their way back in but the boys had it under control so they finished the rescue by themselves,” Mr McGillivray said.

“It was pretty impressive, they didn’t stop to think about any other danger.

“They just went straight to it.

“I think because the boys know the surf, they know the rips and what goes on they were able to effect the rescue.”

Oliver, who is still in training to become a surf lifesaver, said the group saw the boys slip off the edge of a bank.

“We ran down and hopped in the water,” Oliver said.

The boys grabbed their boards and paddled 150 metres to reach the exhausted boys just in time.

Oliver said he “had never paddled so hard in his life”.

He and Ned reached the frightened boys first and managed to get them onto their surfboards with the aid of Charlie Ticknor.

“Charlie helped me put him on my board and we reassured him that he was gonna be alright,” Oliver said.

“Max and Sol helped us bring them in because we were only on our surfboards and didn’t have much flotation with two people.”

The boys returned the swimmers to the shore where they were assessed by lifeguards setting up for the day.

“The little boys and the mum left the beach straight after,” Oliver said.

Charlie’s mum, Dorothy, said she heard the boys say “we could have been dead, we’re so lucky, we could have died” shortly after their first rescue.

“It definitely made an impact on the boys,” Ms Ticknor said.

“They’re in the water all the time and are pretty surf-smart.”

She said it was good to have the boys using their surf skills to help others.

Oliver’s Mum, Collette, said their family had not long moved to the area but her son has already made surfing part of his daily life.

“Ollie got into surfing, it’s a big part of his everyday,” she said.

“He gets up every morning and comes down to the beach here and it just so happened he spotted a couple of kids in the rip, in trouble.

“He just grabbed his board and off they went, all the kids.”

Ms Forsyth said the rescuers didn’t think twice, they just went in.

“If you can help someone then you do that,” she said.

Charlie has just completed his bronze medal and is the newest recruit at the Evans Head Surf Lifesaving Club.

“I can go on patrol now, help set everything up, put up the flags,” he said.

“Thursday morning I wasn’t on patrol – I was out surfing with the boys, then yeah we saw the boys and just ran out to help them.”

Evans Head lifesaver in training Max Mcgillivray, 12, at Main Beach Evans Head.

Oliver said rips are usually deep channels with banks either side.

“There’s two banks next to it and where the waves come in the water will go out that deep channel and if you go into it, it will just sweep you out to sea,” he said.

Max is a local surfer who jumped into action to help his mates rescue the boys.

“I surf every day,” Max said.

“I knew how the rips work and jumped into action to help bring ‘em in.”

Max was adamant swimmers should stay between the flags.

“Lifesavers know where to put them, in a safe spot so kids definitely (should) stay between the flags,” he said.

Evans Head Surf Lifesaving Club president Avan Christie said the club was proud of the boys’ initiative, skills and training in what could have been a dreadful tragedy.