Austinmer lifesaver Adam Turner awarded after January 2021 group rescue

Now, his brave deed in rescuing a group of young people from a fast-moving rip after patrol hours has earned him Surf Life Saving NSW's Rescue of the Month.

About 7pm on January 18, Mr Turner was leaving the water after a surf when he saw seven young adults out in the water.

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A large set of waves washed them off the sandbank and into a fast-moving rip, which was taking them further out and north along the rock shelf.

"It was a low, low tide and a set of three bigger waves came through. There was lots of foam," Mr Turner said.

"I didn't see any heads pop up then all seven appeared but were separated and in distress."

Mr Turner grabbed his swim fins and re-entered the water, signalling to a local, Adrian Kors, for help.

Mr Kors reached the two closest swimmers, while Mr Turner continued swimming out to two young women who had a bodyboard, but were frantic.

On the way he pushed a young man towards a rock platform but could not stop, because the young women were in danger of being smashed against the rocks.

Once he reached them he, too, was in danger, as they were panicking and trying to get hold of him.

At one point, he had to try to push them under a wave while maintaining hold of the board.

"I couldn't hold it. There was about 15 seconds when I thought I'd lost them," he said.

"It was a horrible feeling losing grip of them."

Mr Kors' 16-year-old son Will arrived and, after calling triple-0, dived off the rocks with a board to help.

The pair got the two women out of the water, the last of the seven to make it out.

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One of them had taken on water and was treated by paramedics.

Mr Turner said the group of people the seven were with did not seem to appreciate the danger their friends - and their rescuers - were in, laughing once the rescue was complete.

"I got angry for the first time, to be honest," he said.

Mr Turner explained what had happened, and told them that people had risked their lives to save their friends.

None of those who found themselves in trouble appeared to be competent swimmers, he said.

Mr Turner gave credit to Mr Kors and his son Will, without whom he said the situation would have turned to tragedy.

That same weekend, Mr Turner was involved in the rescues of 18 people on beaches in the northern suburbs, all outside patrol hours.

"It was the worst after hours season we've ever seen," Mr Turner said.

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Austinmer Beach was always popular in the holiday season being one of the closest beaches to south-western Sydney, he said, but with COVID-19 preventing people from travelling overseas, it was especially busy this summer.

Mr Turner said many people who visited from south-western Sydney were not familiar with the ocean, nor competent swimmers.

He said another issue lifesavers faced was the number of people swimming at the smaller, unpatrolled beaches to escape the crowds at the larger ones - on that January weekend, eight of the 18 rescues occurred at Sharkies Beach.

Mr Turner said lifesavers had also faced the rescues of a lot of children, whose parents had left them to play in the water while they relaxed a distance away.

"We're not babysitters," he said.

He urged people to only swim at patrolled beaches and between the flags, especially if they were visitors, and opt to swim at the pool outside patrol hours.

If someone was in trouble in the water it was important bystanders called triple-0, he said, as that would alert nearby surf lifesavers as well as emergency services.

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