Off-duty life-saver makes two rescues at Brighton

After helping a child stuck on a rock at Brighton Beach, David Daniels assisted in another incident when a boat turned over in the surf. PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSON

Instead, off-duty St Kilda surf life-saver David Daniels found himself involved in two rescues at Brighton Beach yesterday.

He had just finished surfing about 2.30pm when a woman on the beach waved him over.

Three children were on a rock out in the water and looked as if they needed assistance.

The beach was unpatrolled, so he headed back out, and found one of the children needed help.

"There’s a pretty bad rip beside the rock. There was a fair bit of current," he said.

He got the girl on to his surfboard and paddled around the rip and back to shore.

"She was OK; she was happy to get back."

Shortly afterwards, he was back with his family on shore when a small boat flipped in the water.

He headed straight back out to help.

Nobody appeared to be injured, and a large group of people helped get the boat out of the water.

daisy.hudson@odt.co.nz