PORT Stephens is famous for its golden sand and pristine beaches.

Tourists and locals alike often flock to the more uninhabited beaches, those unpatrolled, to experience the feeling of isolation.

During the Christmas holidays, 19-year-old local surfer Corey Smith saved a local 10-year-old boy who was caught in a rip at Samurai Beach.

Like a scene out of Bondi Rescue, early last week Corey was again on the scene and rescued a man who was caught in a rip in the same place.

At Samurai beach there is a permanent rip that runs next to the rocks.

The local surfers often use the rip to transport them quickly out the back to the sets.

“I was with Corey when the chap started waving and I saw in Corey those rare qualities in a 19 year old, who instinctively realised what was happening and what needed to be done,” Scott Ireland, a former police officer and firefighter, told Bay News Of  The Area.

“At Christmas time he also pulled a small child from the same spot,” Mr Ireland said.

Corey is a reluctant hero stating that, “Surfers do it all the time with no recognition and without as much as a thank you.”

In last week’s incident the man in his late 50s entered the water with his daughter at Samurai Beach and within minutes both were waving, signalling that they were in trouble.

Within a few minutes the daughter found her feet and managed to get to shore as Corey headed out with his board to help the father.

The man, approximately 6ft, 5 and estimated to be well over 100 kg, was completely submerged from exhaustion with his head back and only his mouth out of the water.

Corey, 6ft, 3, weighing 75 kgs, paddled hard against the rip to pull the man onto his board and paddled him back to shore.

“My lungs were burning when I finally got him in, I really didn’t think I was going to get him back,” Corey said.

With summer’s heat still bearing down upon us, it is a timely reminder to always swim at patrolled beaches and never swim at beaches alone.

 

PORT Stephens is famous for its golden sand and pristine beaches.

Tourists and locals alike often flock to the more uninhabited beaches, those unpatrolled, to experience the feeling of isolation.

During the Christmas holidays, 19-year-old local surfer Corey Smith saved a local 10-year-old boy who was caught in a rip at Samurai Beach.

Like a scene out of Bondi Rescue, early last week Corey was again on the scene and rescued a man who was caught in a rip in the same place.

At Samurai beach there is a permanent rip that runs next to the rocks.

The local surfers often use the rip to transport them quickly out the back to the sets.

“I was with Corey when the chap started waving and I saw in Corey those rare qualities in a 19 year old, who instinctively realised what was happening and what needed to be done,” Scott Ireland, a former police officer and firefighter, told Bay News Of  The Area.

“At Christmas time he also pulled a small child from the same spot,” Mr Ireland said.

Corey is a reluctant hero stating that, “Surfers do it all the time with no recognition and without as much as a thank you.”

In last week’s incident the man in his late 50s entered the water with his daughter at Samurai Beach and within minutes both were waving, signalling that they were in trouble.

Within a few minutes the daughter found her feet and managed to get to shore as Corey headed out with his board to help the father.

The man, approximately 6ft, 5 and estimated to be well over 100 kg, was completely submerged from exhaustion with his head back and only his mouth out of the water.

Corey, 6ft, 3, weighing 75 kgs, paddled hard against the rip to pull the man onto his board and paddled him back to shore.

“My lungs were burning when I finally got him in, I really didn’t think I was going to get him back,” Corey said.

With summer’s heat still bearing down upon us, it is a timely reminder to always swim at patrolled beaches and never swim at beaches alone.

 

PORT Stephens is famous for its golden sand and pristine beaches.

Tourists and locals alike often flock to the more uninhabited beaches, those unpatrolled, to experience the feeling of isolation.

During the Christmas holidays, 19-year-old local surfer Corey Smith saved a local 10-year-old boy who was caught in a rip at Samurai Beach.

Like a scene out of Bondi Rescue, early last week Corey was again on the scene and rescued a man who was caught in a rip in the same place.

At Samurai beach there is a permanent rip that runs next to the rocks.

The local surfers often use the rip to transport them quickly out the back to the sets.

“I was with Corey when the chap started waving and I saw in Corey those rare qualities in a 19 year old, who instinctively realised what was happening and what needed to be done,” Scott Ireland, a former police officer and firefighter, told Bay News Of  The Area.

“At Christmas time he also pulled a small child from the same spot,” Mr Ireland said.

Corey is a reluctant hero stating that, “Surfers do it all the time with no recognition and without as much as a thank you.”

In last week’s incident the man in his late 50s entered the water with his daughter at Samurai Beach and within minutes both were waving, signalling that they were in trouble.

Within a few minutes the daughter found her feet and managed to get to shore as Corey headed out with his board to help the father.

The man, approximately 6ft, 5 and estimated to be well over 100 kg, was completely submerged from exhaustion with his head back and only his mouth out of the water.

Corey, 6ft, 3, weighing 75 kgs, paddled hard against the rip to pull the man onto his board and paddled him back to shore.

“My lungs were burning when I finally got him in, I really didn’t think I was going to get him back,” Corey said.

With summer’s heat still bearing down upon us, it is a timely reminder to always swim at patrolled beaches and never swim at beaches alone.

 

By Jewell DRURY