A 13-year old surf lifesaver has been recognised for her heroic efforts after rescuing her dad from the water at Bar Beach.
On an afternoon in May, Mia Campbell was learning how to navigate the ocean on a race board with her dad Ben Campbell at Bar Beach.
Mia is a Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club member and a previous silver medal winner in the Surf Teams event at the NSW Championships. Ben is a senior patrolling member, club coach and recently elected Director of Surf Sports.
Mia said she caught a wave in during board training and noticed her dad’s board washed up onshore.
“I thought nothing of it and assumed he would just swim in,” Mia said.
“I then realised Dad wasn’t swimming in, so I decided to paddle over. As I got closer, I noticed he was getting smashed by the waves and struggling to keep afloat.
“I knew then something wasn’t right as Dad is very competent in the surf.”
As she approached, Ben explained to Mia that he’d been struck by a dolphin that was attempting to jump out of the water and he could no longer move his arm.
The dolphin had connected heavily with Ben’s left shoulder and chest, making it challenging to stay afloat.
Mia managed to get Ben onto the board using a technique typically reserved for unconscious patients.
“I used the board roll technique to get Dad onto the board, where you flip the board twice,” she said.
“We negotiated the breaking waves on return to shore, and I made sure I told him when a wave was coming and when we were going to catch it.”
Several months on, Ben has made a full recovery, and Mia’s quick thinking and confidence in the water earned her the Surf Life Saving NSW Rescue of the Month.
“At the time, I was just thinking about getting Dad onto the board and safely back to shore,” she said.
“I was feeling confident but worried about Dad because he was in a lot of pain. I’m happy he’s okay.”
Information source: Media release, Surf Life Saving NSW