Girl, 15, hailed a hero as she rushes to help rescue a kite surfer

An Australian teenager is being lauded as a hero after she saved the life of kite surfer who ran into trouble in the water. 

Bianca Stranger, 15, was at home in the coastal south Melbourne suburb of Parkdale when her police officer father Murray Stranger phoned. 

He’d heard multiple calls about a distressed kite surfer who’d been swept out to sea in the area and thought his daughter’s lifesaver training could help. 

‘I was just at home and then dad gave me a call and was like ‘there’s a man out in the water, we don’t know his situation, if he’s tangled in his gear or what’s going on’,’ Ms Stranger told Today.

‘I just raced out, I wasn’t really thinking too much, just get to him and make sure he’s alright,’ she said.

Mr Stranger had been told a police vessel was on route but was still a distance away. 

‘The weather was bad, the water temperature was extremely cold and I heard that the water police, the closest vessel is 40 minutes away,’ he said.

The teenager rushed out and pulled the man onto her paddleboard where she waited with him for half an hour until the police vessel arrived. 

The proud dad said his daughter didn’t hesitate to help and praised Victoria Lifesaving for their tireless efforts.

‘It’s really all the training that the coaches put into these kids. It’s a real credit to them.’

Ms Stranger (pictured in her Victoria Surf Lifesaving uniform) was at home in the coastal Melbourne suburb of Parkdale when she rushed to save the kite surfer