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bcjh t1_jddj0wh wrote

This happened to me when I was kid. Random stranger saved me from the crazy undertow as I was getting swept out to sea and intense waves almost making me drown.

Meanwhile my dad was laying in the sand soaking up the sun and has no idea if ever happened.

Thank you random stranger for pulling me ashore.

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Raffy87 t1_jddp0gj wrote

no problem

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Accomplished-Yak5660 t1_jddqhz5 wrote

Precisely why I love Reddit

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outsideyourbox4once t1_jddttc0 wrote

Ah yes, the five minute rule to take credit

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crossingpins t1_jdg83s1 wrote

There's not many places on the internet you'll find such touching reunions 🥲

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PhaliceInWonderland t1_jdee2zp wrote

My dad was drinking beers on the beach and didn't want to go out while the tide was down.

Me (10-12), another young girl (9-10), and her mom ventured out. My dad came down to tell us were too far out and we need to come in because the tide was coming in. None of us wanted to come back in and the the tide came in on all 4 of us and we got caught in one of these. I almost watched my dad and her mom die. They told us to leave them and go back to shore while they were basically drowning.

We almost died and we got saved by a dude on the beach named Brian with an air mattress.

I don't fuck with water much anymore. That was some scary shit.

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youy23 t1_jdemn22 wrote

> They told us to leave them and go back to shore while they were basically drowning.

Jesus christ

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PhaliceInWonderland t1_jder1px wrote

It was quite traumatic watching her panic and basically try to drown my dad while he was trying to get them to swim into shore. She was kicking and flailing under water and hitting him because she was freaking out.

0/10 do not recommend

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TheNoHeadacheEscape t1_jdfhfnt wrote

>She was kicking and flailing under water and hitting him because she was freaking out.

Not humblebragging, but when I was about 13 I saved a drowning kid (couldn't have been over 7) who swam out too far.

Kid did the same thing and almost brought me under with him, it's a miracle we even made it back to shore, especially considering the amount of times he kicked me in sensitive areas, but the adrenaline rush of almost drowning kinda muted the pain from those.

Definitely do not recommend.

Edit: To note, I didn't know what I was doing, I had no training, I just reacted, and honestly, that was the biggest mistake. I should've grabbed a floatie or something.

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softcore_UFO t1_jdfnkup wrote

My sister did this to me in a pool, I ended up holding my breath long enough to sort of… shuttle her crazy ass to the edge. Fast forward twenty years later we’re at a family thing and she says, “remember that time you almost drowned me?”. Little shit freaked out so bad she rewrote her memory.

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_iplo t1_jdfjwu8 wrote

Lifeguard training teaches you to avoid direct contact with a drowning victim. This is why.

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TheNoHeadacheEscape t1_jdfo1jx wrote

Yup, and at the time I knew nothing of that. Honestly it was a miracle we both survived. When I finally got to shore I just laid on my back unable to even move for a good few minutes.

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_iplo t1_jdfojll wrote

Experience is never a bad thing. You're a good person.

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AppetizerDessert t1_jdggi05 wrote

It also teaches you to kick or punch them in the gut to regain some distance.

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Loggerdon t1_jdg0e6q wrote

When I was about 10 I saved a kid who fell down a sewer and into the pipe after a heavy rain. My friends and I took off the lid and I climbed in. Then I dropped a rope down the 20' pipe and pulled the kid out. The kid didn't speak English and as soon as he got out him and his brother ran away. The cops stopped by later and patted me on the back.

Next day another kid did the same thing and he was on the news and the mayor of Los Angeles gave him a fucking medal.

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thepeskynorth t1_jdhikrs wrote

This is why they say to approach someone drowning from behind and/or send a flotation device ahead of you otherwise they can drown you….

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Boloar t1_jdfvwy0 wrote

> Jesus Christ

... was clearly absent, it was Brian with an air mattress

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peoplebuttspongecake t1_jdevzcn wrote

>We almost died and we got saved by a dude on the beach named Brian with an air mattress.

Tell me more about this "Brian with an air mattress". Was he using the air mattress as a floaty? Was he camping on the beach? I'm intrigued.

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PhaliceInWonderland t1_jdexste wrote

I don't know what his circumstances were to have an air mattress at the beach but thinking about it now I think he or his party were using it as a float.

We were screaming for help and the crowd on the beach thought it was kids playing but he happened to have been in the area the whole time and saw us go out and he sprung into action.

This was in Rocky Point Mexico and I am 34 now. This was 20 something years ago. We were from Phoenix and he was from Tucson.

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A-Very-Cool-Pencil t1_jdea0o7 wrote

I was drunk on a 10 dollar boogie board in Hawaii, getting sucked under fighting for my life, only to make it back to the surface to be laughed at by a bunch of locals watching. Good times.

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wpcodemonkey t1_jdf4ynx wrote

Getting pulled under and tossed around like you’re in a washing machine is no joke. Same thing happened to me in Cape Cod when I was a kid. It probably only lasted 5-10 seconds but it felt like 3-5 minutes and you have no idea which way is up or down. Fucking terrifying.

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229-northstar t1_jdhk685 wrote

Same thing happened to me in a cape Cod! We were getting the far edges of a hurricane and the water was rough. It was fun until it wasn’t. The water pinned me under and rolled me until it didn’t want me any more.

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actibus_consequatur t1_jdep6ab wrote

Nearly the same except it was my oldest sister who was rescuing me... Right up until my panicking caused me to start choking her out, thus causing some random dude to help save both of us.

Also, my dad watched as I thought I was gonna drown in my neighborhood pool after my overconfident 6 year old ass jumped into the deep end. While he was probably slightly drunk, not much he could've done given he was disabled. When I climbed out of the pool, he just looked at me, smirked, and said "Bet you're not gonna try that again, huh?"

ETA: Should've pointed out, the reason he was smirking is because he realized I (probably) be all right for the same reason I figured out a couple weeks later: I was over 4' tall while the pool was only 5' deep, so I could stand flat footed in the deep end and have most my forearm above water. Dad saw in my panic was bouncing to safety.

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Thatbluejacket t1_jdg8j3c wrote

I almost died one time in a similar circumstance as your second story.

I must have been like 4 or something, and we were hanging out at my mom's friend's pool. Her daughter was probably around 12 or 13, standing in the water and catching me when I jumped in - there was no deep end, but it was still over my head. After a bit she decided to get out, but I still wanted to swim so I jumped again and immediately started sinking.

I remember thrashing around a lot, but quickly realized it didn't matter. My mom and her friend were sitting on the deck chatting and didn't see me jump I guess - in reality it was probably less than 10 seconds til my mom noticed I was missing, but it felt way longer. Right as I'd literally accepted I was about to die, I saw the shadow of my mom stand up very suddenly and jump into the water. She must have pulled me out of the pool, but that's what I remember most vividly - a snapshot of her shadow against the sun, seen through the surface of the water.

I'm extremely lucky my mom was always so vigilant - lots of children die every year from drowning in pools while literally surrounded by adults. My sister and I started taking swim lessons right after that incident. Sorry to ramble, I'm a bit high and you just reminded me

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actibus_consequatur t1_jdgkil3 wrote

Well that's a terrible way to get it, that sounds like a pretty awesome mental picture to have.

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chahoua t1_jdhczb3 wrote

I've heard so many stories like this that whenever I'm at a party or event where there's water and very young kids involved I can't take my eyes off the kids for more than a few seconds.

Having a kid die like that where you could have easily saved the child if you paid enough attention would be something I'd have a hard time recovering from.

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mmabet69 t1_jdgbeak wrote

Bro literally I did this to a kid on a vacation one time and still think about it from time to time. The kids dad didn’t even seem concerned but the kid I grabbed was super panicked and I could see him getting dragged further and further out until I got him on my back and we swam with the waves back into shore.

Glad it was appreciated

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Alekillo10 t1_jdeylxe wrote

That was an angel no doubt

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Delicious-Studio-101 t1_jdl88qf wrote

Exact same thing happened to me, too! Except it was my grandparents lying on the beach, none the wiser.

I’m sort of afraid of water to this day. I learned to swim later, but I’ve never felt completely comfortable in water, and the discomfort grows with age.

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Phuckingphilly t1_jdd0xjn wrote

Thought I was looking at 2 pictures of the same 2 girls for a second

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austin_ave t1_jdd2v5v wrote

Dude, same lol, I was like which one is the new picture?

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Responsible_Cut_7022 t1_jde2m47 wrote

The funny thing is that the two middle girls are preteens and the two others are adults. They all look like they could be in class together though.

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Whend6796 t1_jdfccf1 wrote

Okay. That’s it. I am checking IDs from now on. And I don’t sell liquor.

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CaptainChaos74 t1_jddu7q1 wrote

They all look the same age. I would struggle to tell which ones are the "women" and which ones the "girls".

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ohhellnooooooooo t1_jde8kwd wrote

Save it for the judge handcuff-emoji

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Caelinus t1_jdf972a wrote

I have the same problem with being able to tell these days, but for me it just means that people between 18-23ish look like high schoolers to me now.

Thankfully that is a turn off. I don't get why people fetishize youth so much. My ideal age for attraction has so far been heavily based on a range around my own age. As I have gotten older the range has expanded, but it is always trending older.

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DeadTime34 t1_jdgiq2o wrote

Why do people fetishize anything though, human sexuality is still such a mystery lol

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kidantrum t1_jde3uej wrote

You can normally see the difference in the details. The 2 girls in the middle have softer facial features while the women on the outer left and outer right have a more defined face.

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Itsjeancreamingtime t1_jddt221 wrote

The women that rescued the 11 year olds are on the far left and far right according to the photo caption.

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nothxshadow t1_jdeukjf wrote

What the hell. So 2 of those are "women" and 2 are 11?? tfff

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MiklaneTrane t1_jdfk3vm wrote

The article isn't that clear, but I think this incident happened two years ago in 2021 and the photo is recent. So the two girls in the middle were 11 at the time but are ~13 now, and the rescuers are now 19 and 20 but would've been 17 and 18 at the time.

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Dan-D-Lyon t1_jdei4md wrote

I think they might have been saved by themselves from the future

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WORKING2WORK t1_jdei5id wrote

The pair on the left are the ones depicting them in the docu-drama, the pair on the right are the real people involved. /s

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917caitlin t1_jdg7qad wrote

Right it’s like their future selves travelled back in time to save their past selves

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gme186 t1_jdglyss wrote

nr1 is mom of nr3.

nr4 is mom of nr2

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DurgaThangai69 t1_jdfzg3g wrote

I thought these were before after transformations, after breast reduction surgeries on both of them

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jenglasser t1_jddbcf1 wrote

This kind of shit right here is why I need to get into better shape. If I had rushed in to help, we just all would have died.

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beefwarrior t1_jddmj2v wrote

Met someone who’s husband died trying to save some drowning kids in Lake Michigan. Learned that often there are multiple drownings, where one person was drowning & then people who went to help drowned too.

I can’t imagine what it would be like not to help, but I know I’m not skilled enough to save a drowning person in rough conditions and won’t attempt to unless I have things like a life preserver, rope, etc.

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Meowerinae t1_jddu7hr wrote

When I was doing my cert to beccome a lifeguard, something that stood out to me was how dangerous people drowning are, and how in their survival mode they will grab their rescuers and drown them without a second thought. It was a big lesson on bringing a floatation device and throwing it to them while remaining a safe distance away. I don't think this could have been official training but I remember hearing that it's safer to knock a drowning person unconscious before trying to save them if you have nothing to throw to them. Not sure how you'd accomplish that but it just highlights how dangerous drowning people can be to those trying to save them.

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I_just_made t1_jddx5k7 wrote

You hear similar things when going through rescue diver certification in the PADI system of scuba diving. Been several years since doing that, but from what I recall you’d throw a floatation device to / past them if you could.

If you had scuba gear on and had to approach in the water, you’d maintain a bit of distance to assess the situation before making any kind of approach. I think you were supposed to keep your regulator in your mouth when close in case they tried to climb on you, but I could be misremembering that.

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CandiedOwl t1_jdel90o wrote

I’m currently going through this course now. Yesterday we did panicked diver rescue skills, in which we were instructed to dive beneath them, surface behind them, and straddle their tank with our knees while we inflate their BCD and then ours. We haven’t gone over rescuing a non-diver yet, but I think that the going under / resurfacing behind them would be a good way to avoid them hanging on to you and would make it easier to knock them out if necessary.

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StitchinThroughTime t1_jdetn41 wrote

Yes, it's one of the ways people actually told to getting drowning people to stop grabbing on to you is to dive down below. They don't want to be underwater so you dragging them down freaking out even more and they let go.

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I_just_made t1_jdfezbg wrote

Ah yeah that’s it! It has been several years since I have even gotten the chance to dive.

Hope things go well for your course, they are useful skills that can certainly make you more confident when diving in a variety of situations.

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lazytemporaryaccount t1_jdh2gn3 wrote

To be fair, you don’t need to knock them unconscious, you just wait until they fall unconscious on their own from the whole “drowning” part. At least that’s what they taught us to do if it was too dangerous to approach someone. A lot of the rescue techniques where also specifically designed to grab people from behind/immobilize their arms for similar reasons.

Also I’ll never forget the instruction that if someone panicking / drowning does grab onto you to try to keep their head under water, don’t fight them and try to get to the surface. Instead stay calm and go down once holding onto you means going underwater, they’ll let go.

And as always 1) Reach (ie grab someone from a safe location/ reach out to them with something inflatable that they can latch onto) 2) Row (approach in a boat, particularly in open water) 3) Throw (an inflation device) THEN 4) Go

Going into the water after someone is dangerous and other options should be considered first, even for lifeguards. As a bystander, your first instinct may be to jump right in, but always look for other options.

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Sbaker777 t1_jddzdsf wrote

As a former lifeguard, I would recommend that no untrained person try to save anyone over 50lbs without a very floaty object. You’ll probably both drown. Even with all my training I’d strongly hesitate to go in after an adult with no flotation device on me. (You’ll read in this article that the girls had a flotation object: smart as shit) They’ll flail and push you right under.

If you decide not to take my advice, keep as much distance from the person as you can and approach from the back, put your arms under theirs and swim backwards with them.

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Jaque8 t1_jded9h4 wrote

My good friend is a highly experienced waterman and lifeguard and said the same thing, that even he wouldn’t attempt a rescue without a flotation device unless he outweighed/overpowered them by a LARGE margin. He was basically saying he’d let someone like me drown but would save a kid or a woman <140lbs. He said if you do find yourself in that situation then dive DOWN and they’ll let go, someone drowning doesn’t want to go deeper they want to stay on the surface.

I was cliff diving in hawaii with a friend and his teenager just a few months ago, his kid started seriously struggling on the swim back in and needed help… That advice above kept going through my head as I approached him. He’s 16 years old but plays football and is pretty fucking strong for a kid, probably a solid 170lbs+, Thankfully he wasn’t in full panic mode yet and he listened to me while I put him in an assisted backfloat to rest while I swam him in… But if he had panicked and grabbed me I was fully ready to dive down and swim away. I don’t know if I would’ve just let him drown as I don’t think I could live with the guilt just watching from a short distance, but fuck what else can you do?? Just glad he worked with me and didn’t fight me and I didn’t have to make that decision.

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Sbaker777 t1_jdehgv1 wrote

Agreed with all points and neglected to mention if you do find yourself saving someone, you did the exact right thing. Communicate with the person you intend to help. Talk to them, tell them you’re here to help and to let you take control. Though this won’t work a lot of the time but still.

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Queendevildog t1_jdfbvjr wrote

The only time I ever rescued anyone I grabbed a random styrofoam floatie board without asking. My daughters friend had an asthma attack while swimming in a lake. Maybe 200 feet from shore. I paddled as fast as I could and got her on the floatie until a boat got to us. It happened so fast. If there's kids or even young teenagers in deeper water having a floatie and constant vigilance is a must. I was the adult in charge and to this day it gives me the willies. What if I didnt have a floatie? Or was distracted? It could have been very bad. I dont think it would have ended well without the floatie.

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bluejackmovedagain t1_jddpehl wrote

We had a horrible event locally this winter when a child went through the ice on a lake and his friends tried to rescue him and went through too. Most of them drowned in the icy water.

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Significant_Sign t1_jdghqik wrote

We had that last summer in a nearby lake. A young teen was drowning, 2 different friends tried to help, in the end all 3 teenagers drowned. I think the oldest one was only 15. I get numb to all the horrible news, but that made me feel sick to my stomach for days.

Also, lifejackets are super sexy everybody, I promise. Please wear your lifejacket.

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TheMooseIsBlue t1_jde7wfj wrote

It’s very common because the drowning person is often desperate and acts against their own benefit. They will grab onto their would-be savior and push them under. It’s why lifeguards will always try to approach from behind and with their can/floatation device between them and the drowning person. If you fight a lifeguard out there, they’re trained to back away. It’s easier to save an unconscious person than a flailing person.

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dzlux t1_jdea251 wrote

>easier to save an unconscious person…

This was a solid reality check in rescue training. Every potential rescuer needs to first know that someone potentially drowning will try to climb whatever they get their hands on… including the rescuers head. If there is no floatation device, rescuers have to be insanely careful.

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TheMooseIsBlue t1_jdeavkj wrote

Doing scuba certification, someone in my group went down to do the skill where you take off your mask and take out the reg and then put them back on. This was after like 2-3 hours in the water, but this guy just freaked out and started grabbing at the instructor’s reg. He’s got oxygen strapped to his own back and he still nearly drowned the person next to him.

Desperation is nuts.

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dzlux t1_jdfu91e wrote

Enough time underwater and you see some scary moments.

I won't buddy up with strangers on a dive. I have seen the full range of people that manage panic very well and very poorly... and it is valuable to truly understand a dive partner before dropping 60ft with them.

I hope the diver you saw found some inner calm along the way or chose to quit diving.

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TheMooseIsBlue t1_jdg2b7k wrote

Yeah, I’m always nervous going solo on a trip and partnering up with a rando.

He obviously failed out of that dive and I don’t know if he ever went back to finish. Crazy because he had been totally fine on every skill we’d done in the pool and the first couple of open water dives. But when panic comes, it’s not easy to swallow it down.

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SkinHairNails t1_jdg7ww3 wrote

Oh man, I wasn't able to grab my regulator a few times (I was able to collect it in my arm, but I didn't realise I did), panicked and after a minute shot up to the surface. This was in a diving pool at just a couple of meters so that was fine, but obviously wouldn't have worked in the ocean once I was at any real depth. I'm very glad I didn't try to touch the instructor, but that moment of sheer panic is real, and it's hard to control your response. It was embarrassing, and I was surprised by my response to it.

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rfccrypto t1_jdetbfr wrote

A few years ago in NY a couple of people got trapped in a weir and died. Then the professionally trained rescuers came in a boat to get the bodies, they got too close, capsized, and died too. The water doesn't give a fuck.

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gedai t1_jde1paz wrote

Once on a hike down a river we found a dog skull about a half mile from where we started. On the way back we found a plaque dedicated to a man who drowned trying to save his dog from drowning. Could have been a coyote skull, but still.

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Ilookbetterthanyou t1_jdfq6yr wrote

That actually happened to me and I almost killed my baby brother because of it. We were 3 and 7 at the time. I saw my brother fall in a pond in a neighbours yard, I dove in after him forgetting I couldn't swim. The neighbour saw me drowning and safed me, but he didn't know my brother was in there too. I swallowed water so couldn't speak coherently for a few seconds but eventually managed to say my brother was in there, he dove immediately and saved him as well. That was more than 30 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday.

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Orome2 t1_jddyimn wrote

I had a friend that died trying to save his drowning daughter. They both died.

This was actually in a lake, but the visibility was so poor that it took days to find their bodies. He was very athletic too.

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Plenor t1_jddym2e wrote

Unfortunately people die trying to save others from drowning all the time.

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nikicampos t1_jdevnjg wrote

And that’s WHY he wants to get in shape

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North_Atlantic_Pact t1_jdeygml wrote

Rescuing someone in rough surf takes WAY more than being in good shape. Tons of people who can run a marathon wouldn't be able to pull a limp (or even worse fighting back) person in the conditions that caused the potential drowning to begin with.

I'd much rather someone in not peak shape but who knows how to move in the ocean, vs an elite athlete who occasionally goes for a swim in a private pool

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[deleted] t1_jddjsn6 wrote

You can do it! Start small and work your way up. 👍

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TheBoctor t1_jde1ovc wrote

Went whitewater rafting with my wife a little while ago and we got tossed from the raft after going over a waterfall. It took every bit of my panicked strength to get up and grab the raft, and my first thought as soon as we got to shore was that thank god my wife is a strong swimmer and in good shape- because there’s no way I could save her and myself at the same time and that thought scared the shit out of me.

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jenglasser t1_jde6zew wrote

Damn, that's scary. Glad you both are okay.

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Dorocche t1_jdeaggb wrote

Falling out of the raft during whitewater rafting is actually pretty normal; it's far from risk free, but as long as you curl up you're probably safe. The rapids come in waves, so in between sections of rapids there's plenty of calm water to get back in the raft.

A few of my friends in middle school actually had their raft guide fall out of the raft mid-rapid. He shouted "get down," but they thought he said "get out," so they all jumped out too. Imagining that poor raft guide's face as six 13 year-olds abandon ship for no reason never fails to crack me up. Everyone was fine haha.

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TheBoctor t1_jde9l2o wrote

Same.

I used to be a great swimmer, and I’d swim in the ocean all the time. But as soon as I went under slammed my head into a rock (thank god for helmets) it became rrreeeaaaalll apparent how many years ago those beach days were.

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Comnena t1_jdeuc0e wrote

The big thing they did here that helped was bring a floating object. That's extremely important to improve the survival outcomes of everyone involved. People often rush in without anything (understandable) but it's very common for the rescuer to drown.

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BarbequedYeti t1_jddk14m wrote

It starts in the kitchen.

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jenglasser t1_jddn3ka wrote

Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Fitness is a different issue, although related.

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ScottieRobots t1_jde20i1 wrote

Fitness starts in the kitchen for me, too.

Fitness whole stack of pancakes in my mouth, that is.

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Nmanga90 t1_jddrubj wrote

Definitely also starts in the kitchen. You’re pretty hard limited on your ability to get more fit by the amount of fat on your body

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chewbadeetoo t1_jdduyp6 wrote

I guess it depends on the amount of fat but yeah if you push too hard exercising while carrying a lot of extra pounds you risk injury.

You can exercise for a full hour hard as you can, and burn the same amount of calories that can be eaten in a few seconds. I've seen people go workout then think it gives them an excuse to eat more. Been guilty of it myself to be honest. Like that old maxim you can't outrun a bad diet.

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muscletrain t1_jde06yw wrote

Not to mention the over calculation typically of all the smart watches and even heart rate is not that accurate. Was one of the nice things about getting power meter pedals on my bike, it's a pretty damn accurate calorie burn metric based on weight and power output.

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Dorocche t1_jdeavsj wrote

That's only true in certain contexts, and doesn't necessarily make good general advice. Most people with low or normal body fat I know are terribly unhealthy, and I know plenty of people with plenty of body fat who run 5ks.

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Nmanga90 t1_jdeg4wz wrote

I’m talking about the average American who is pushing 30%. Likewise, terribly unhealthy rail thin people are also limited by their body fat and need to make dietary changes.

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BarbequedYeti t1_jdeof4d wrote

> Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Fitness is a different issue, although related.

Totally disagree. Nutrition and your diet have everything to do with your overall fitness level not just some related piece. This is why so many yo yo over and over and over again. They never figure out their eating.

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mrkiddi t1_jdea9dt wrote

I'm in the kitchen, now what do i do?

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BarbequedYeti t1_jdemuiu wrote

Not eat a bunch of shit. Re-educate yourself on nutrition.

People hating on that comment that getting in better shape starts in kitchen is hilarious to me. Upset the eaters I guess. Each their own

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magic1623 t1_jdjd0s8 wrote

It’s not because of that, your comment at first glance looks like one of those “women belong in the kitchen” type of comments.

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TheMooseIsBlue t1_jde7gqr wrote

Just a reminder, if the ocean is pushing you out to sea, don’t swim against it. Swim sideways along the shore until you don’t feel that push out to sea and THEN swim in to the shore. It’s usually not further than 30-40 yards/meters before you’re out of that rip and usually much less.

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poul0004 t1_jdd51i2 wrote

Wtf is an esky lid?

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boogetyboo t1_jdd5gx8 wrote

If you're a yank you would call an esky a 'cooler', i.e. a portable ice box for beers.

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Ath47 t1_jddl1m1 wrote

Esky is a brand, but it's such a dominant brand that everyone in Australia just refers to all coolers by that name. Kinda like Kleenex instead of tissue, etc. In this case, Esky is so common that it's basically replaced "cooler" or "ice box" completely, and most Aussies don't use or even recognize those terms anymore.

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Doctor_Wookie t1_jddk98m wrote

Oh, probably from "Eskimo" brand, eh?

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scribblecurator t1_jdevjg7 wrote

Yea that’s where the name came from. Many Australians have no idea of its origins and that it could be considered derogatory. It definitely shouldn’t be used as a product name but the brand is ubiquitous here - there would have to be a big push for them to change.

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NamorDotMe t1_jdf314y wrote

An American Edward William Coon made some cheese, 100 years later the brand name was changed after being bought out because it was seen as derogatory.

The brand name "esky" was purchased by United States firm Coleman Company, (a subsidiary of Newell Brands) in 2009, so who knows.

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vegemitemilkshake t1_jdhc5lv wrote

Oh, I didn’t even notice Coon cheese was no longer a thing. Though I’m dairy intolerant, so not entirely surprising.

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c4seyj0nes t1_jde2tyv wrote

Apparently it’s also slang for a boogie board. Not sure if they actually used a cooler lid or a boogie board.

−5

lloydthelloyd t1_jded7ny wrote

They used a cooler lid. That website will include a term if its been used more than twice in all of human history.

14

usually_surly t1_jdfh59n wrote

Don't know why you're being down voted there mate. I prefer the term shark biscuit.

2

c4seyj0nes t1_jdfhbyg wrote

I just googled it because I didn’t know what it was. That’s what came up.

Shark biscuit it hilarious.

2

RHINO_Mk_II t1_jddn9rr wrote

The bit that goes on top of an esky to cover it up. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

2

SirGlenn t1_jddgqtg wrote

They're heros.

62

thisbechris t1_jdfcgqm wrote

You used the correct form of they’re. You’re an internet hero.

20

Old_Magician_6563 t1_jdf0knp wrote

This is obviously two women who travelled back in time to save their younger selves.

41

Bhimtu t1_jddl2p3 wrote

What a great story from down under! Congratulations, ladies, without your bravery in tackling this rip current, those gals would most likely have not survived. Awesome!

32

angerson88 t1_jdg1g5n wrote

Spent my high school summers as a lifeguard. I was at a local reservoir at the end of my senior year and swam out to the bouy with some friends. We passed by some acquaintances on the way back to shore attempting the same thing. I watched them from shore and could tell they were struggling so I swam back out to help. By the time I got out there, one of the guys had ditched his friend to drown. I swam over to him and grabbed him from behind and dragged him back to shore. Apparently he was chewing tobacco because his mouth and teeth were plastered with it. This was 16 years ago.. I ran into him and his daughter a few years ago and he told her that I was the guy that saved his life. I’m glad he still remembers and acknowledges it.

18

ja20n123 t1_jdf7koh wrote

It’s insane that they all look like the same age, even though the two rescuers (on the sides) are 19-20, while the girls (in the middle) are 11.

Only after knowing whose who can you kind of see the age differences. The two woman have more makeup on compared to the two 11 year olds.

16

MiklaneTrane t1_jdfku3y wrote

The article doesn't make it that clear but I think the rescuees were 11 at the time of the incident, which was two years ago, so they're ~13 now.

10

Kelp4411 t1_jdfqxys wrote

They had to save their past selves from dying or it would have created a paradox

12

Insighteternal t1_jdf0vu3 wrote

As a lifeguard of 12 years, one thing we were trained the most on was danger recognition. I’ve had many people I’ve had to save from drowning situations and the entire pool was like “ meh” to the whole scenario. The true scary part for me was how quickly a drowning situation could occur and anyone without a trained eye could be none the wiser. I salute these women for seeing the danger and acting quickly!

11

Cunt_Bag t1_jdfef0k wrote

Maybe if you can't swim you should take your kids to a patrolled beach?

9

Bee_Hummingbird t1_jdfdva4 wrote

A mother who can't swim brought her two daughters to a beach known for surfing (aka big waves) that has no lifeguard.

When the girls began to drown she asked these teenagers to step in.

That mom is a piece of shit.

6

MDUK0001 t1_jdgulao wrote

Article says the mother was at home…

−1

Bee_Hummingbird t1_jdh4dtt wrote

>Article says the mother was at home…

"We were just having a little picnic at the beach with some girlfriends and this woman came up to us and was like, 'I can't swim and my girls are drowning,' and we just jumped into action," she said.

The girls were at Angels Beach near Ballina, an unpatrolled beach along a stretch of coastline popular with surfers"

Try again.

2

MDUK0001 t1_jdh4qt5 wrote

I was referring to this part: “They were nominated by Erin Danks, Violet's mum, who was at home when she received the call about the rescue.”

But I guess this means that one of the mothers was with them and the other at home, and that they are not sisters.

So in a way we are both right, but mainly you…

3

Bee_Hummingbird t1_jdh5bbp wrote

Fair. One has a shitty mum. The other is absolutely stupid for letting her child go with someone so incapable.

2

Boatster_McBoat t1_jdftw8e wrote

"Armed with the makeshift flotation device"

this is so important - anything that floats will make it heaps less likely that the rescuer will drown in this situation

6

The_Rockers t1_jdfjsz9 wrote

The icon for this sub, at a glance, looks similar to the icon for r/nottheonion and I was sitting here for a good minute thinking "what's so funny about that???" lol

5

KiteIsland22 t1_jdfqtvg wrote

Damn these two girls are brave af and was smart enough to grab whatever floatation device they could find.

3

DogWithADog t1_jdgvmav wrote

I've actually heard more stories of people drowning with the person they're trying to save than a successful rescue so this is a relief to see

2

thepeskynorth t1_jdhj4jd wrote

I had heard years (decades) ago that if you are caught in a rip tide to swim parallel to the shore until you come out of it…. Not sure if this is still advisable or if it ever was…. I guess to keep you from spending time fighting a losing battle??

2

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1

muzlu_sut t1_jdh00s4 wrote

Patrick Swayze would proud.

1

IndubitablySarah t1_jdh9tnp wrote

I watched a rescue on the beach in Kauai a couple years ago. It was a lifeguard who spotted a couple struggling and made it out to them with a rescue board. IDK how it would have gone without a lifeguard, because I would have never been able to hear them calling for help over the sound of the surf. Sounds like everyone involved was very lucky!

1

Vendetta2112 t1_jdhf07v wrote

Do we even HAVE girls like that left in America?? They still know how to raise them right down under!!

1

thepeskynorth t1_jdhhxo6 wrote

This is my nightmare when we go on vacation with my kids… they are still so young and some places we go to you can feel that pull from the waves. Thankfully we normally do the beach in the morning and the pool in the afternoon.

1

PingouinMalin t1_jdjmjni wrote

17 year old me tried to save a young kid from big waves by going in. Caught his hand, tried to pull him towards me thinking he'd be good, then a wave promptly separated us, was swept on the beach and there was nothing I could do about it.

Kid was saved moments later by pro rescuers. Big respect for them cause man, it's effing hard.

1

VanillaCookieMonster t1_jdmgoll wrote

This is nice but mom needs to learn how to swim AND how to gauge that waves are too strong for kids to go beyond wasing level.

Time for mom and both girls to get some first aid training so they become more self aware.

Luckily the rescuer found the esky lid otherwise the girl who described her 'struggle to keep her head above water' might have grabbed her and pulled her down in her effort to stay up.

As a mom, my girls would be starting Red Cross swimming lessons as soon as we got home. Hopefully they will learn from this and be able to save others in the future.

1

guss1 t1_jdgaesd wrote

Is it bad that my first instinct was to look at their fingers to make sure the picture isn't AI generated?

0

Vendetta2112 t1_jdhfdlu wrote

So basically, 300 years after being started as a penal colony Australia is raising young women like this, and 300 years after this country was started by a bunch of brave guys who wanted to live independent lives, our daughters are non binary, neurotic, social anxiety misfits.

How'd that happen?

−3

makes-you-cry t1_jdfbuzf wrote

"Darwin awards wrongfully taken from young girls by older, stronger bullies"

−9

GrandPriapus t1_jddu455 wrote

How did she “race” to save the girl when she doesn’t have any legs?

−13

In_The_Basket t1_jddw4ca wrote

I must have missed a part. Where did the article say one had no legs?

10

the_joy_of_hex t1_jddzg55 wrote

I think it's just a joke about how they are sat.

9

p1nkie_ t1_jdf06vp wrote

redditors really don't understand satire sorry about the downvotes

−1

sylendar t1_jdf7npo wrote

Are you really apologizing on leddit's behave for downvotes? Maybe you should take a break from this website.

2

teedeeguantru t1_jddnbtp wrote

Maybe off topic, but: they’re really damn beautiful, on top of being heroes!

−46

ohhellnooooooooo t1_jde8syp wrote

📸👮‍♂️

16

Dorocche t1_jdeb2tk wrote

Why is the cop taking a picture?

1

lloydthelloyd t1_jdedr05 wrote

Because the 'women' are children.

9

Acid-Reign t1_jdefg4b wrote

The article puts the rescuers at 20 and "now 19" - not that the original comment was very relevant or helpful.

15

Dorocche t1_jdeg6c1 wrote

Right, it's an "arresting you for pedophilia" joke, but what's the camera for?

−5

F______________F t1_jdf60g7 wrote

It's a play on the phrase, "This comment right here officer," which people often use when someone says something creepy online. The taking a picture is the "this right here" part.

3

F______________F t1_jdf66mm wrote

>Maybe off topic

Next time you think to yourself that what you're about to say isn't really appropriate, you should listen to your intuition.

8