An Ocean Grove teenager who saved a Melbourne man from drowning last week has described the incident as “full on”.
Roo Robinson, 17, was walking along the beach between Raafs and Main Beach in Ocean Grove with his girlfriend Caity O’Leary on Wednesday January 11 when a woman started screaming for help.
Her 26-year-old brother had been caught in a rip and was struggling to stay afloat.
“I heard this lady screaming ‘help, help my brother’ and I just looked up and saw her and my girlfriend said ‘just go’,” Roo said.
“She just pointed in a vague direction. I had a full adrenaline rush so I swam out there. I kept seeing seaweed and I thought I was going to be bringing in a dead body.
“He was about 250 to 300 metres out, fully panicking and fighting it all the way and out of energy.
“I got to him and told him ‘hey I’m a lifeguard and I’m here to save you and it’s going to be OK’.”
Roo, who had no flotation devices to assist with the rescue, stayed with the man for about five minutes to calm him down before attempting to bring him to shore.
By then a quick-thinking Caity had alerted lifeguards.
“I got him back to the break and one of the boys came up to me on his board,” Roo said.
“After that the jet skis came and the IRB and paramedics.
“I would have given him another 30 seconds and he would have drowned. It was super full on. I wasn’t thinking about the risks, it was just an adrenaline rush.”
The rescued man’s mother, who was also at the beach, sent Roo a “very generous gift and a card” to thank the Kardinia International College student.
Roo is a lifesaver with Ocean Grove Surf Lifesaving Club, but was off duty that day.
He has been involved since he was eight years old when he started Nippers.
“I’m really glad I have the training because I don’t think a normal beachgoer would have had the endurance and know how to get them to calm down,” he said.
“It was very lucky I was there. The mother said ‘you saved my son’s life’.
“It didn’t hit me until a day or two after. Mum said they could have gone home without a son and that’s when it really hit me. I got a bit emotional.”
Roo has some simple, but important, advice for beachgoers.
“Stay between the flags,” he said.
“They are there for a reason and if you do have the time, try and educate yourself on rips as well. The most important thing in that situation is to stay calm. Also learn how to signal for help to be rescued.”
