A former lifeguard became a knight in shining amour for a child trapped underneath a boat at a Melbourne beach.
Nick Mazzeo was relaxing on Safety Beach when a 54-year-old driver lost control of the boat near the jetty and accidentally accelerated.
The vessel ‘jumped up onto the pier…about two metres’, according to a witness, and then slowly sank into the water and capsized with two children on board.
An 11-year-old boy was quickly pulled from the water but a seven-year-old girl became trapped underneath the boat under the water.
A group of onlookers including a former lifesaver have rescued a girl, 7, from a capsized boat
A 54-year-old driver lost control of the boat near the jetty and then accidentally accelerated
The boat narrowly missed hitting fisherman and people jumping from the jetty, according to 7NEWS.
Along with several other onlookers, Mr Mazzeo rushed to the end of the pier to help the little girl after the boy was pulled from the water immediately.
‘We started from the back trying to find her, but there were cushions and rope and fishing gear,’ he told 9NEWS on Monday afternoon.
Along with another good Samaritan named Max, Mr Mazzeo dived into the water and swam underneath the boat to find the child treading water with her head up in an air pocket made by the anchor.
But he couldn’t free immediately because she was tangled in debris from the boat, lifejackets and fishing equipment.
The boat was too heavy to be lifted, so he pulled the girl partially through a hatch in the bottom of the vessel. She had been under the boat for four minutes.
Max (right) recounted to media that ‘the vessel ‘jumped up onto the pier…about two metres’
The girl was trapped under the vessel by ropes and debris but luckily had found an air pocket
Mr Mazzeo jumped into the water and swam under the boat to find the child tangled in ropes
Max handed Mr Mazzeo a knife so that he could cut the young girl free from the ropes and wreckage.
Both children, who had both swallowed a large amount of seawater, and one of the rescuers were taken to hospital for observation.
‘She was shaking, and very stressed, as you would imagine she would be,’ said witness Tony Poci. The girl was treated by paramedics for shock, but sustained no serious injuries.
Police have expressed their intention to nominate Mr Mazzeo for an award in recognition of his courageous efforts in saving the girl.
Police have expressed their intention to nominate rescuers Mr Mazzeo and Max for awards for