Caleb Tancred (Avoca) Macy Callaghan (Avoca) and Chris Zaffis (Angourie) saved the pair who were being swept out to sea in a rip at the southern end of the beach.

“Both the father and son were getting swept out to sea in a rip, right next to the rocks and near where we were surfing,” Zaffis said.

“Both of them were beginning to panic, so we went and had a look and offered them some assistance. The son had a bodyboard and the father was swimming next to him, trying to push him into waves. All of us pushed them out of the rip towards the breaking waves and helped them get in to shore.”

The three surfers are currently participating in Surfing NSW’s free CPR and board rescue course  - Surfers Rescue 24/7 - as part of their event training. 

The Surfers Rescue 24/7 initiative was sparked by a need to cover the gap between patrolled beaches and remote beaches in an effort to reduce deaths from drowning in NSW.

Zaffis said conducting a rescue was something all surfers would have to carry out at some point.

“ I know that us three have had to pull people out of rips more than once, '' he said.

To find out more about the course, check out www.surfersrescue247.com