A teen lifesaver rescued two children stuck in a rip at Malua Bay Beach, outside of patrol hours on Saturday, October 23.
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Just before 1.30pm, Batemans Bay Surf Lifesaving Club captain Joel Doble sprung into action as he saw three kids, aged 11-12, stuck in a dangerous rip.
"I was locking the last door to the club before going home after IRB training," he said.
"I had a final look at the beach and saw three kids starting to get into strife."
The 18-year-old said the beach was "fairly packed" and conditions were rough.
"There was an outgoing tide and the rips were pulling pretty hard with a 1.5 to 2-metre swell rolling in, heightening the level of danger for swimmers," he said.
Mr Doble called for backup before grabbing a rescue tube and swimming to the kids who were "getting smashed" by waves.
"They lost their footing on the sandbar and got hit by a couple of waves and were taken straight out," he said.
Mr Doble rescued two of the kids while the third made it safely back to shore on their own.
"We got back to the beach and had a chat about surf safety," Mr Doble said.
"The kids said they felt nauseous and were showing signs of water ingestion, so I called an ambulance to get them checked out."
Paramedics arrived and assessed the children who were given the "all clear".
It wasn't Mr Doble's first rescue outside of patrol hours. Over the years, he has saved multiple swimmers in trouble.
READ MORE: Man dies aboard a yacht at Batemans Bay
He said the most serious rescue he performed was in November last year, when two men almost drowned in big surf.
For that rescue, Mr Doble was awarded Rescue of the Year from the Far South Coast Branch of Surf Lifesaving.
Mr Doble urged beachgoers to swim at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags.
"If you spot someone in trouble call Triple-Zero (000)," he said.
Surf lifesavers will begin patrolling Malua Bay Beach on Saturday, November 6.
For beach safety tips, CLICK HERE.