“The two adults were quite fatigued and in distress as they realised the severity of the situation they’d found themselves in. The girl, she was shaken and shocked as well.
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“While we don’t advise the public to do what he did, Paddy is a local who knows the area and knows his capabilities. It definitely wasn’t a rip current you want to be in.”
Speaking outside the Cats training session at Geelong on Monday morning, Dangerfield, who is a Moggs Creek local and keen surfer, told Nine News he was on the beach with his family when he noticed the three people struggling out to sea.
He said he stayed with the trio for about 15 to 20 minutes before help arrived, labelling the ocean a “powerful beast”.
“Luckily the family is all OK, that’s the most important thing,” he said.
Fairhaven Surf Lifesaving Club president Nancy Joseph said community was everything in the area, and Dangerfield’s quick thinking showed just how important that could be.
Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield speaks to the media before training after he helped to rescue an 11-year-old girl from the surf and helped keep the family afloat on Sunday.Credit:Nine News
“We’re extremely grateful to both Patrick and the surfing community that do assist us.”
Ms Joseph said summer this year had presented lifesavers with challenging beach conditions as Queensland’s recent cyclone pushed easterly winds towards the Surf Coast, resulting in a rise in rips and undercurrents. She said flash rips were a concern and could appear suddenly.
“And when there’s an undercurrent, people get pulled down the beach quite quickly.”
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In the first few days of 2022, three people drowned in Victoria – including one man at Princetown on the Great Ocean Road – prompting warnings about the dangers of unmanned waterways.
Data shows 26 people drowned in rips each year across the country. Lifesaving Victoria urges swimmers to swim at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said two people were assessed at the scene on Sunday but did not require hospital treatment.
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‘Lucky we had someone as courageous as Paddy’: Footy star pulls girl from dangerous surf
Source: Philippines Alive
