Frantic Mom Begs Teens To Save Her Daughters From “Rough, Crazy” Waters
May 10, 2023
Four young ladies became forever friends when two teens heroically saved the lives of two 11-year-olds who nearly drowned at Angels Beach in Ballina, New South Wales.
The beach was unpatrolled, and daylight was fading when a woman, frantic with fear, approached Bella Broadley and Elyse Partridge, now 19 and 20, respectively. The girls were picnicking with friends at the time. According to Bella, the terrified mom said, “I can't swim, and my girls are drowning.”
RELATED: Frantic Mom Screams For Help And Teen Jumps In To Save Baby By Performing CPR
And that’s when the two immediately jumped into action!
Teens Save Mom's Daughters From Drowning
Bella grabbed an esky lid. (“Esky” is a term used in Australia to refer to a portable cooler or ice box.) With the cooler lid as a flotation device, Bella, followed by Elyse, rushed into the rough waters to help Violet and Chloe. The younger girls had become trapped in a riptide and were struggling against the strong waves.
Bravery medals for women who raced into 'rough, crazy' surf to save drowning girls https://t.co/XVNrlKz7Ms
— ABC News (@abcnews) March 22, 2023
As the teens raced to save the girls, Bella recognized the danger of the situation once in the ocean. She later stated, “But luckily, I had the esky lid for part of the way to keep my head above the water, and once I got to Violet, I just swam for my life.”
Bella handed the esky to Chloe, and Elyse then helped Chloe get to shore. However, the two were bruised and beaten up when they crashed into the rocks as they made their way out of the water. It was a terrifying experience!
Witnesses and police officers are certain that Chloe and Violet would not have survived if the two teens didn't save them. The struggle to keep their heads above water left Violet and Chloe physically exhausted, and they swallowed a lot of saltwater in the process. Violet was admitted to the hospital overnight, but both were saved.
Daring Rescue Creates A Special Bond
Looking back, Elyse and Bella wouldn't do anything differently. Elyse said, “I was quite happy that we ended up doing it because I kept just thinking about what could've happened if we hadn't gone in.”
RELATED: Teens Pray & Give CPR to Friend’s Lifeless Body Pulled from Oconee River: ‘God Was on Our Side’
And Bella will always feel a bond with Violet and Chloe. “I see those girls out and about in the town, and I just get a bit emotional sometimes,” Bella said.
While the near-drowning event took place in January 2021, Bella and Elyse were, in March 2023, named on the Governor General’s Australian Bravery Decorations Honours List. The list recognized 66 Australians for acts of bravery!
Erin Danks, Violet’s mother, nominated the brave ladies for the award, and the younger girls submitted statements about what happened on that memorable day.
Even as accomplished swimmers, the trauma from the day still lingers with both Bella and Elyse. They encourage others to exercise caution, perhaps more aware of the drowning dangers that exist. There were 28 drowning deaths in New South Wales during the 2022-2023 summer season. Nine percent of those were deaths of those trying to save others.
Ms. Danks wonders if Bella and Elyse knew just how deadly the riptide was on that day, stating, “I'm not sure if they knew at the time how bad the rip was … we're just lucky as a community that we did not lose four lives.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Pregnant Mom Hears Screams From Lake And Then Scared Girl Tells Her ‘I’m Going To Die’
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Matthew 14:27
LISTEN: Texting The Wrong Number Caused 2 Strangers To Fall In Love | Pastor Prays For 4 Armed Men In Church
h/t: ABC News
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/ABC News
Hally is a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate. A former school counselor, Hally works for a nonprofit that distributes tax dollars to mental health and prevention education providers that serve her county's kids and families. She's a contributor to a devotional and two essay collectives, and she shares resources and wisdom regarding parenting teens, mental health, faith, adoption, and more at http://www.hallyjwells.com where she strives to "Dig Deep and Reach High." She and her husband have three adult children and one rascally beagle pup. Hally loves travel, her book club sisters, personality tests, and a great glass of iced tea.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Dealing with Family Rejection This Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 5
One of the best times of the year can also be one of the most difficult. Harvest décor leads into Christmas bells and lights. We fill the calendar slots with parties and events. This can create a low-level hum of anxiety if the upcoming family get-togethers feel like a risky walk through a minefield.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Dealing with Family Rejection This Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 5
One of the best times of the year can also be one of the most difficult. Harvest décor leads into Christmas bells and lights. We fill the calendar slots with parties and events. This can create a low-level hum of anxiety if the upcoming family get-togethers feel like a risky walk through a minefield.
Past Stories
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Gaither Vocal Band Gaither Vocal Band - Mary, Did You Know? [Live]
Passion Music 'The Lord Will Provide' Passion And Landon Wolfe Live Performance
CCM Magazine Randall Goodgame’s ‘Scripture Hymnal’ | ‘In The Beginning’
CCM Magazine 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold Shares Message of Faith During Nashville Concert
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.