Collaroy Beach: Mark Sywak thanks lifeguard Sean Woolnough after he saves girl

The parents of a girl who was taken under a problematic storm water pipe by a strong current has thanked a lifeguard who saved her.

Collaroy lifeguard Sean Woolnough. Picture: Mark Sywak / Facebook

The parents of a teenager who almost drowned after becoming stuck under a storm water pipe have thanked the brave lifeguard who pulled her out of the water.

About midday on Thursday the 17-year-old girl (who did not want to be named) was surfing at Collaroy Beach and paddling to the shore when a strong current dragged her into the direction of the pipe.

The father of the surfer, Mark Sywak, a surgeon at Royal North Shore Hospital, published a heartwarming post on Facebook thanking the lifeguard.

A 17-year-old girl almost drown at Collaroy beach after she was swept towards a storm water pipe by strong currents. Picture: John Grainger

“Our daughter was dragged beneath a large concrete pipe by a strong ocean current while surfing,” Mr Sywak said on Facebook.

“Sean Woolnough risked his life, jumped in and saved her. Our family will be forever grateful for what he did.”

His wife Alix Showmaker Sywak told the Manly Daily it had been a traumatic event for their family.

Royal North Shore Hospital surgeon and father Mark Sywak expressed his gratitude to the lifeguard for saving his daughter’s life. Picture: Facebook

“We’re very grateful she’s okay … they’re all heroes [lifeguards], at the moment he most certainly is ours,” Ms Shoemaker Sywak said.

“Our daughter is a very competent surfer, she was paddling back to the beach away from the pipe when a side ways current took her and whisked her down.

“It slammed her against the pipe and she got whirlpooled under the pipe. All she could try to do was get out, she was submerged and trying to fight her way back out.”

She said lifeguard Sean Woolnough didn’t hesitate to help.

“Luckily there was this incredible man on the beach and he was able to pull her out, putting himself into serious jeopardy and was able to rescue her.

“He’s truly a hero, he’s a legend.”

A man drowned in the same area in August last year.

Witnesses said the man, 44, may have become trapped against, or been swept into, the side of the concrete pipe by large seas.

Members of the public dragged the man to shore were CPR was started before emergency services arrived.

A male in was surfing near the pipe in August when he was sucked under and died. Picture: John Grainger

The man was later declared dead in Royal North Shore Hospital.

The drain, part of the Northern Beaches Council’s stormwater network, was built in the 1970s and extends from the seawall just north of the Collaroy Surf Life Saving Club.

In 2012 the then-Warringah council was considering relocating the drain to the southern end of the beach, near the ocean pool.

But the council decided in June 2012, to build a new, improved drain, in the same spot, instead.