RIPPER NIPPER saves four lives! Fourteen-year-old Nipper, Clayton Schilg was awarded Rescue of the Month for a rescue he performed in January 2020 which saved the lives of four people caught in a strong rip on unpatrolled Wooyung Beach. Clayton and his family, who are from Brisbane, were holidaying at Wooyung Beach on the New South Wales Far North Coast on Thursday 9 January when the incident occurred. At 2pm a group of holidaymakers from Victoria had decided to go for a swim at the unpatrolled beach. They got stuck in a strong rip and were getting swept out to sea when Clayton heard them shouting for assistance. Thinking quickly, Clayton grabbed a nearby surfboard
and headed into the surf to provide assistance. There were five swimmers in the group caught in the rip. One man in particular was struggling to stay above the water. When Clayton reached the man, who was panicking, he tried to grab Clayton and inadvertently pulled him under the water. Clayton’s surf lifesaving training had prepared him to deal with this situation and he was able to free himself.
“One of the guys was in a bad way so I put him on top of the board,” Clayton said in an interview with the Tweed Daily News. “Then I got two to hang onto either side of the board while I pulled it from the front and another man, the brother of the guy on the board, hung onto my waist.” Clayton helped four of the men to shore on the board. “I knew if I got past the dumpers, I would be fine and catch the white wash,” Clayton said.
