Adelaide Teens Hailed Heroes After Dramatic Ocean Rescue!

A group of Adelaide teenagers have been hailed heroes as they risked their lives to save a grandmother and grandchild from rough waters in West Beach.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, everyone needs to hear this story.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is such a fantastic local story and makes you
proud to have teenage boys, because that's not often a
phrase that people say. Four teenagers had saved the life
of a grandmar and a little boy from drowning at
West Beach.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Louis was one of the teens down there at this
dramatic rescue. Louis, can you please tell us from your eyes,
from your perspective, what happened?

Speaker 4 (00:28):
Yeah, So basically, I was just out on an after
school surf with one of my mate and there was
two other boys down there that we didn't actually know,
but obviously got to know them in the afternoon as
it went on. And yeah, I just finished up my surf,
went up to the car and saw a little boy
who was yelling for help.

Speaker 5 (00:48):
On the rocks.

Speaker 4 (00:48):
Oh god, So yeah, I kind of dumped the board
and immediately sprinted down and helped him from the land
side of the rocks because he was stuck in the water.
So I managed to pull him after and get into safety.
And as soon as that happened, someone else held where's
a lady gone? And I looked out and about fifty
meters out from where I was standing. She was just
floating in the water far out.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
And at that point, this is a grandma, This is
this kid's grandma.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Did you go Do I jump in and save her?

Speaker 5 (01:18):
Was it a question in your eye? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:20):
It was. It was super fight or flight. So at
the time I kind of just sprinted. I yelled out,
grab a board, and I thought, you know, worse comes
to worse, I'll have to jump into the water. But
the issue was it was so choppy and wavy. I
was just worried that I was going to get taken
out as well.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, because you'd be thinking, you're only a teenager. You'd
be thinking my parents, what would they want me.

Speaker 5 (01:40):
To do as well?

Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Correct, Yeah, so what do you wait up, Louis when
you're deciding I might be able to save someone's life here,
but I might be put my own life in danger.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
Yeah, So it was definitely, Yeah, it was definitely a
hard decision. But I thought, you know, I'll do what
I can and if if it really depends on it,
I'll have to jump in and get on.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
The board, And how did you guys get her out?

Speaker 4 (02:01):
So basically I spoke to her. So the rocks down
here in a big l shape, and she followed the
line of rocks all the way out because this rip
must have been so strong and it was super wavy,
and I was just yelling at her the whole time,
trying to let like tell her to, you know, line
her back, take deep breaths. And then it wasn't until
she got around the back of the rocks that we

(02:22):
managed to hoist the surf ward out and pull her in.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Have you done surf life saving before, because this is
like very advanced.

Speaker 5 (02:29):
For a fourteen year old.

Speaker 4 (02:30):
Yeah, myself, I haven't, but a few of the other
boys have.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, that is incredible.

Speaker 5 (02:37):
I'm so proud of you, Louis. You're you're a hero.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
What's it like being called a hero by people around
the place? I've seeing yourself on TV hearing.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
This, you know, it does feel very it feels great.
It's a very cool thing, you know, once in a
lifetime sort of thing almost, And yeah, it was awesome
to see everything on the telly as well.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
I want to know, as a mom myself of a
thirteen year old, what did you say?

Speaker 1 (03:00):
What did your mom say to you? After this happened?

Speaker 4 (03:02):
She kind of raced down in the car, and at
the time I didn't have my phone, so I called
on a random zone and she was just so worried,
like when she saw another you know, another person's phone
ringing through, and I just said, explain the situation, and
she immediately raced down with you know, my dad and
just gave me a be hug after I finished off

(03:24):
the resk.

Speaker 5 (03:25):
Louis, what did the people that you rescued have to say?
Were they?

Speaker 3 (03:29):
I mean, I imagine you'd be really stressed and a
little bit frantic out of the water.

Speaker 5 (03:33):
Have spoken to him since we.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
Haven't spoken since, but I saw them in the ambulance
and we got to say goodbye to them at least,
so that's good. But would hope to reunite and have
a chat as well, see how everything's going.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Can I say, Louis, teenage boys get a really bad rap.
There's a lot of bad things said about kids and
dangerous things and selfishness and all this kind of stuff.
And you have just shown what an amazing smart thing
that you can do with so much heart, saving two
people's lives at such a young age.

Speaker 5 (04:06):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
Yeah, it means a lot. It was it was, Yeah,
I was just happy to be there at the time
because I didn't feel like there was much option, so
I was happy to be there and be able to
help out otherwise. You know.

Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yeah, mate, it's lucky you were there.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, you've been involved in saving two lives today. And
I hope that when you walk into school this afternoon,
now that everyone has seen your story and they've heard it,
they all line up and buy you nice things at
the Touch shop or.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
I hope scroll ye, it would be not on your Louis.

Speaker 5 (04:42):
Well done, mate, We love to hear this story. You're
a legend, No worry. Thanks guys,