"If we were any later, he would have been dead" - Inside the Castlecliff Beach rescue that brought Quentin home

A coordinated response from Whanganui Surf Lifeguards and a matter of minutes gave one swimmer the chance to spend Easter with his whānau. Their story is a powerful reminder of why keeping our lifeguards rescue-ready matters.

A relatively quiet Whanganui season took a dramatic turn one Sunday afternoon in March, when Whanganui Surf Lifeguards raced against the clock to pull an unconscious swimmer from a treacherous rip at Castlecliff Beach. What follows is the story of that rescue, told by the team who were there.

"If we were any later, there is a high probability the patient would have been dead."

Whanganui Surf Lifeguards had experienced a relatively peaceful season. That all changed a few weeks ago when two people were caught in a dangerous rip at Castlecliff Beach.

One person was taken to the hospital in a critical condition.

Whanganui Surf Lifeguard Service (WSLS) chief search and rescue co-ordinator James Newell said his team responded around 4 pm on a Sunday in March.

Quentin saw three people in trouble in a treacherous rip and went into rescue mode. He bravely pulled two of the swimmers from the rip, then got into trouble while "trying to get the third".

Newell said, "By that time, we were activated and in the water and pulled him and the other person in.

"When we reached him, he was submerged underwater, unresponsive, and it was the full monty – AED [automated external defibrillator], oxygen [therapy], CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation], ambulance, everything."

Surf Lifeguards James McGregor and Lucy Reid were the first on the scene and launched an inflatable rescue boat (IRB), with senior search and rescue co-ordinator Daniel Comp responding on a kneeboard, Newell said.

"Myself and lifeguards Ethan Bryers, Ethan Bishop and Sophie Smith were waiting on the beach to assist with the emergency response, while Nicole Comp provided peer support for the lifeguards and support to the patients' family during the incident."

He said that early correspondence with police meant the WSLS could reach the beach in a matter of minutes.

"If we were any later, there is a high probability the patient would have been dead.

"They were two pretty big guys that were rescued too, with two small operators in the boat, and their adrenaline must have been pumping to pull them in there."

Newell said there were "big seas" that day, and that meant a greater chance of rips.

"There were multiple agencies – us, police and ambulance – working together as one, and that's what made the whole thing work," he said.

"Everything gelled that day."

"The two patients were assessed at the scene, with Quentin transported to Whanganui Hospital by ambulance in a critical condition."

Newell said lifeguards began CPR on the patient, Quentin, before St John took over and "we worked as a team".

"The second swimmer, who was conscious but severely exhausted, received first aid and oxygen treatment."

Newell said Quentin was airlifted from Whanganui Hospital to Wellington Hospital on Sunday night.

After recovering in the hospital, Quentin returned to the club to meet his rescuers and to thank them for saving his life. He had a remarkable recollection of the events leading up to the rescue. He is hugely grateful to Surf Life Saving NZ for his being still alive, and thanked Surf Life Saving — and you — for letting him celebrate Easter with his whānau and friends.

Please click here to donate today to help us keep our surf lifeguards "rescue ready" — and to ensure that people like Quentin get to go back home to their families when something goes horribly wrong at the beach.