Connor Skele’s daily surf session at Currimundi Beach turned into a life-saving mission on Monday 25 November when he paddled into a rip to rescue a man on the verge of drowning.
According to 32-year-old Mr Skele it was as if the stars aligned for him to be there at the right time, armed with a foam board instead of his usual surfboard.
“It is like there was a higher power at work that day, the timing of it all really spun me out,” Mr Skele said.
“I took my foamy out which I hardly ever do, I was later than usual and I had caught a few extra waves than I usually would when I heard screams as I was leaving the beach.”
Looking back to scan the ocean, Mr Skele saw two teenagers caught in a fast-moving rip and waving for help.
“A bodysurfer immediately went in to get the girl, he didn’t even have a board, he just bravely jumped in and swam to her – he got her out really fast, I wish I knew his name,” Mr Skele said.
“I got on my board and paddled out to the guy who was screaming and waving – he was being pulled out really fast.”
Mr Skele said time seemed to stop for a moment as he approached the man, who by this point, had only his lips above water.
“For a second I felt a bit of panic surge up but I thought, no, you’ve got this, you have to get him, the rip was really strong,” he said.
“I pulled him onto my board and just said, you’re right mate, you’re not dying on me today, but he was in a really bad way, he had taken in a lot of water and he couldn’t see.
“He was just gurgling help me, help me, help me, over and over.”
Mr Skele waved in another surfer who helped him bring the man to the beach, with paramedics and Dicky Beach Surf Lifesavers on the scene within moments.
“He was going in and out of consciousness and the paramedics and lifeguards were working on him,” Mr Skele said.
“He couldn’t see, he couldn’t respond, another 10 seconds and I think he might’ve been gone.”
A Currimundi native and surfer since the age of 13, Mr Skele has often toyed with the idea of becoming a lifesaver.
“I grew up by the lake and the beach is in my blood, but I just want everyone to think twice before they take on the ocean,” he said.
“All it takes is one bad decision and it’s all over, especially if you’re nowhere near the flags.”
Sunshine Coast chief lifeguard Trent Robinson said surfers like Mr Skele frequently put their life on the line to rescue swimmers outside of flagged areas across the coast.
“Surf Life Saving Queensland and the Sunshine Coast Lifeguard Service would like to acknowledge the good work surfers do with rescues like this right across the coast, especially after hours,” Mr Robinson said.
“There’s a lot of rescues that get done at non-flagged beaches by board riders where, like this one at Currimundi, swimmers are in really bad spots.
“But situations like these could be easily preventable if people swam between the flags.”
Mr Robinson said board riders interested in learning more about board rescue and resuscitation could present to their local Surf Life Saving Club and attend an upcoming rescue course.
“We’d love to work with board riders and board rider clubs right across the coast to share some rescue techniques and encourage all surfers to get involved with their local surf club,” he said.
