Five teens pulled two Nepalese men from surf at Zenith Beach, Shoal Bay

A group of heroic teens have spoken out about the frantic moment they pulled two Nepalese men from dangerous surf at a Hunter Region beach, before one tragically lost his life.

A Nepalese man died on Zenith Beach on April 14 after he was pulled from the water by five brave teenagers. Supplied.

A group of brave teenagers are being hailed as heroes after risking their own lives to rush into the water at one of the Hunter Region’s most notoriously dangerous beaches to try to save two drowning men.

Irrawang High School students Djuandet Kalischer, 17, Tiger Poolkerd and Riley Torrens – both 16 – and friends visiting from Queensland Kaewen Blaine and Xavier Fing, also 16, jumped into action shortly after they arrived at Zenith Beach at Shoal Bay on April 14 when they learned two Nepalese men were struggling in the water.

“As I started to walk down the beach, a man ran over to ask for help because one of his friends was drowning,” Kaewen said.

“I screamed out, and when all the boys came out of the water I told them people were drowning and we needed to go help.”

By that time two 13-year-old boys had already tried to rescue the men themselves but also got into trouble.

The five friends worked together to pull the young boys from the surf and a 25-year-old man who had been caught in a dangerous rip at the unpatrolled beach.

Djuandet Kalischer (left), Kaewen Blaine (middle) and Xavier Fing (right) who rescued two Nepalese men, one who sadly passed away, at Zenith Beach, Shoal Bay on Monday April 14, 2025

“I’m not really good with swimming but I still went out to help and the boys all rushed out,” Kaewen added.

“We were far out trying to bring them in and the waves were crashing over our heads and we were struggling to keep him above water but we tried our best.

A crowd gathered after a rescue at Zenith Beach, Shoal Bay on April 14, 2025 where Two Nepalese men were rescued, one died and the other is in a critical condition. Supplied

“As we got closer to the shore, some people ran out to the shallow bit to carry him onto the beach and we could see all the salt and foam coming out of his mouth and his nose.”

The 25-year-old was unconscious as bystanders performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

But the chaotic rescue did not end there, as the group of boys learned that another Nepalese man was also drowning in the water.

“I see the second guy’s head bob up in the waves and I screamed out that he was in the water, so we rushed out immediately,” Kaewen said.

“Some guy on a surfboard comes out into the water with us and we find him and get him on top of the surfboard and trying to get back into the shore.”

But despite their best efforts and 36 minutes of frantic CPR, the 24-year-old man sadly died on the beach.

His friend was rushed to John Hunter Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

“It was pretty scary and so much adrenaline was going through my body and I wasn’t thinking about it. I just wanted to go out there and help out,” Kaewen said.

“We just did what we thought was best in the moment, go out and help.”

Djuandet’s mother Nicole said it was lucky they were there, otherwise it could have been a lot worse.

“If these boys were not there, there would have been four deaths,” Ms Kalischer said.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.