Boy relives ocean rescue after vicious rip pulls family apart

A Brisbane boy who was dramatically pulled from the ocean by rescue helicopter after his father and sister were swept away in big swells has relived the surreal event.

Lee and dad Pete Galea with the rescuers Brenden Scoffell and Paul Brennan. Picture: John Gass

An 11-year-old Brisbane boy has been dramatically rescued from the ocean by helicopter after his father and sister were swept away in big swells on the Gold Coast.

Lee Galea, his sister Indiana, 13, and their dad Pete were swimming together off Nobby Beach on Good Friday when the drama happened.

Mr Galea said he and his children were competent open water swimmers but became separated by a powerful sweep.

“We were trying to swim out the back, but me and my daughter got swept north and we got split up,” he said.

“Lee was about 100m out the back (of the surf break) and was stationary in a good spot, but freaking out a bit. The lifeguards gave it a good crack (to rescue him) but they got swept north as well.

Dignity, Peyton, Lee, Austin, Indiana and Pete Galea with the rescuers Brenden Scoffell and Paul Brennan. Picture: John Gass

“Indiana and I got in and I ran back up the beach and tried to get back out again, but just couldn’t.”

Enter the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter, which was already airborne after an earlier mission and was quickly on the scene.

“We spotted young Lee in the water waving at us - the lifesavers and lifeguards were having a bit of difficulty with the big swell trying to get out,” air crewman Brenden Scoffell said.

“We opted to go straight in for a winch rescue to get Lee out of the water and back on the beach.”

Lee was plucked to safety, a little shaken but unharmed.

“I was a bit scared but trying my best to keep calm,” he said after being reunited with his rescuers at the Westpac helicopter base at Carrara on Saturday.

“I was really happy and relieved to be back on the beach.”

Lee was lucky the team arrived. Picture, John Gass

Mr Galea said it was an “unanticipated adventure”.

“You see the chopper flying past on the Gold Coast and don’t think much of it but it was an absolute blessing to be able to call them in,” he said.

Lee said the scare would not deter him from going back into the ocean.

“I was just a bit unlucky,” he said.

Mr Scoffell said while the swell was slowly abating, the surf would remain dangerous over the weekend and urged beachgoers to swim only between the red and yellow patrol flags after multiple drownings in NSW and Victoria already over Easter.

Originally published as Boy relives ocean rescue after vicious rip pulls family apart