An English backpacker who found himself in trouble in choppy surf at a northern NSW beach thought he and his partner were “meeting god this arvo” – but a champion ironman appeared for a serendipitous rescue.
Surf lifesaving veteran Caine Eckstein, 38, was coaching a longboard skills session, the first he had held at Main Beach, Byron Bay, when he spotted the swimmers in distress.
“It was 5.30pm NSW time (on Wednesday). I got there about 5pm … I was standing on the beach and I could just see two out there,” Eckstein told this publication.
“There was a northerly so it was pretty rough and dumpy.”
The five-time Coolangatta Gold winner, who was helping out Byron SLSC, said he “suddenly” realised the couple were in trouble and rushed down the beach, grabbed a board and headed out to help.
One of the teens Eckstein had lined up to coach followed him into the surf and the pair reached the man and woman caught in a rip, who had been pulled away from each other.
“She was OK and said ‘go help my boyfriend’,” Eckstein said.
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The Byron SLSC member said once the couple were on dry land, Eckstein simply exclaimed “right-o boys, let get on with the session”. 