Brave young man saves girl from riptide on uMhlanga beach

The quick thinking of Umhlanga Rocks Surf Lifesaving Club member Matthew Opperman helped save the life of a 10-year-old girl who was caught in a riptide off a beach in Salt Rock recently, reports Northglen News.

Matthew was having lunch with his mother Lisa when a cry for help spurred him into action.

ALSO READ: Man missing from beach, tourist rescued from same beach

“I had just been on a five-hour cycle ride and when I arrived home my mom asked if I wanted to go to lunch at a hotel in Salt Rock. Initially, I said no, but I caved when she mentioned seafood. As soon as I had finished eating, a woman ran into the hotel screaming: ‘Help, a child is drowning’. I immediately ran towards the back of the hotel where there is a pool, only to discover this young girl was actually being swept out to sea by a rip tide.”

Opperman jumped into the ocean and swam about 40 metres off the shoreline to get to the young girl.

“I took off my shirt and jumped into the ocean with my jeans on and told her elderly uncle, who was trying to save her, to swim back to shore and I swam out to her. I got to her in the nick of time, because had I gotten there about 20 seconds later, the situation could’ve turned fatal.

“I managed to hold her chin above the water and I swam using one arm and swam back to shore. She had got caught in a riptide which was extremely difficult to swim in. My training with Rocks (Surf Lifesaving Club) definitely helped me save her life.”

His mother also praised her son’s efforts, saying she now understood why lifesavers competed in beach events.

She said: “I always wondered why lifesavers do flags and beach sprints, but all of his training from doing those events helped him save this little girl’s life, which was just incredible. The waves were tempestuous on this particular day and I feared for Matthew’s safety, but he calmly brought the little girl back to shore and her family’s reaction was just an amazing thing to see, as they were so thankful to Matthew for what he’d done.”

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.