Off duty lifesaver saves 14-year-old boy in trouble off Bronte
A hero lifeguard on an evening stroll spotted a family in trouble in a rip off Bronte Beach and rushed in saving the life of a 14-year-old boy who was sucked out more than 50 metres to sea and in serious trouble.
A hero lifesaver on an evening stroll spotted a family in trouble in a rip off Bronte Beach and rushed in saving the life of a 14-year-old boy who was sucked out more than 50 metres to sea and in serious trouble.
North Bondi RSL lifesaver Will Hauserman jumped into action when he saw at least five people — believed to be a family on holiday from overseas — in trouble about 7.30pm.
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Mr Hauserman managed to hold several family members up in rough conditions.
“I saw the rip, there were two of them struggling, so I swam over and asked if they were OK and they said ‘no’,” he said.
“I held two of them up until a surfer came with a board and then I looked back and saw (the 14-year-old boy) further out, the rip had taken him further out.
“I just had to do my best to keep his head above water.
“Then there were others around us and it was a six-person rescue. By that stage lifeguards had brought rescue boards.”
The boy was taken to shore as paramedics gave him oxygen as distraught family members watched on.
Mr Hauserman pleaded with swimmers to learn from the close call which he said could have turned to tragedy in a matter of seconds.
“Only swim when the flags are up. He had water in his lungs, he’s swallowed a fair bit of water.”
Lifeguard Troy Quinlan of Bondi Rescue fame, who helped in the rescue, said Mr Hauserman saved the boy’s life.
“If you weren’t holding him up, he was gone — 100 per cent,” Mr Quinlan said to Mr Hauserman at the Bronte surf club after the rescue.
“You saved his life, seriously.”
Mr Quinlan also urged swimmers to avoid swimming at dusk and said people getting into trouble in the water at night was a regular occurrence at Bronte.
“Don’t go swimming after lifeguards have finished on the beach, if you don’t see red and yellow flags — no swimming,” he said.
“He was lucky members of the public were here to help out otherwise it could have been anything.”
Paramedics took the boy to the Sydney’s Children Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Shocked family members have rushed to be by his side.
It follows a horror summer of drowning deaths with two people dying in NSW on the weekend.
A 25-year-old Nepalese man disappeared while swimming in Bents Basin, in Sydney’s south-west, at 11.30am only hours before a 27-year-old Chinese man drowned in the Kangaroo River on the south coast.
There have been 82 drowning deaths in Australia this summer, with NSW accounting for 27.
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