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An off-duty lifeguard from Argentina and two young surfers have been praised after bravely rescuing two drowning swimmers at a remote beach on the Sunshine Coast.
Key points:
- Two swimmers were caught in a rip at a remote Noosa beach on Wednesday
- A lifeguard from Argentina bravely swam out and assisted the couple until surfers arrived
- The swimmers were rescued and taken to hospital in a stable condition
Micaela Guacci, from Buenos Aires, was sunbaking with friends at Alexandria Bay in Noosa National Park on Wednesday afternoon when she saw two distressed swimmers caught in a rip.
After realising she was the only one who could help, she risked her life and ran into the water.
"I started swimming out and there were a lot of waves," Ms Guacci said.
"They were quite far out so I wasn't making much progress."
In the meantime, her friend ran to the other end of the beach to alert some surfers who were preparing to enter the water.
Another man used the beach's emergency phone to call for help.
Ms Guacci, a trained lifesaver in Argentina, eventually made it out to the young couple.
"The woman was screaming," Ms Guacci said.
"She was very scared. She kept saying, 'I can't do it'. I kept saying, 'Please keep trying, we can do it'."
Ms Guacci managed to hold the woman up for several minutes before the two surfers arrived and put the swimmers on their boards.
She was 'about to drown'
Noosa surfer Kaiden Smales, 19, said when he realised what was happening, he and his brother sprinted down the beach before quickly paddling out.
He put the man on his board, while his brother went to Ms Guacci and the other woman who was "about to drown".
"It was a bit of a cardio workout, but we were willing to do anything to save a couple of people's lives," Mr Smales said.
"There was a really gnarly rip … The water was pretty treacherous, so they got sucked pretty far out to sea.
"It honestly didn't surprise me … you could easily drown in that particular spot."
Mr Smales said he was surprised to find the couple "didn't have any clothes on".
"I was a bit caught off guard," he said.
"It's quite popular for nude swimmers, but in that moment that's definitely not what I was thinking."
Within minutes, a Surf Life Saving jet ski arrived and took the swimmers back to shore.
Couple in stable condition
Ms Guacci said the woman was lying on the beach and required oxygen from paramedics, who later took the couple to Nambour General Hospital in a stable condition.
She described the experience as a shock.
"I can't describe the fear because I was scared all the time, the fear I won't be able to save them, or I might drown myself," Ms Guacci said.
"I feel very proud. While I was very scared, there was no alternative. I couldn't wait for help to come."
Mr Smales said it felt great to help save their lives.
"It was a good atmosphere when we found out everyone was safe."
Ms Guacci said she and her friends had "a group hug" when the ordeal was over.
"In this job we save many people and basically they're nameless because you never hear from them again," she said.
Both Ms Guacci and Mr Smales said it was important for everyone — especially foreign tourists with limited ocean experience — to heed water safety messages and swim in patrolled areas.
"I'm still processing it all – it's quite raw and fresh," Ms Guacci said.