Five people pulled from two near drowning incidents at Mount Maunganui have bystanders to thank for saving their lives on Tuesday evening.

Local surfer and Mount Maunganui College teacher aide Glenn Osborne was walking with his wife along the beach on Tuesday afternoon, when she decided to have a swim, a safe 20 metres away from a rip. It was about 5.30pm. Within minutes Glenn found himself diving into the rip, racing to save three people who were being swept away.

'I've been around the ocean all my life and this has shocked me,” says Glenn. 'While I was watching my wife, I noticed two children going into the water.

'In a few seconds, I saw they were being pulled out in the rip. They had gone from just below their knees to being in trouble. They lost their footing within 30 seconds of entering the water.”

The rip at Sunbrae Grove beach access at low tide. When the tide comes in, deep holes and the fast moving water currents are not apparent. Photo: Glenn Osborne.

He says the children started yelling to their mother.

'She rushed into the water in a panic after them. I dived in and went after them. She got to the young girl who was about eight years old and grabbed her. I grabbed the boy who was about the same age.

'By that stage they had swallowed a lot of water. They were panicking. There was no footing and they were about a minute from drowning.”

The dangerous rip is off the beach at the end of Sunbrae Grove, Arataki. Photo: Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

He says at this point the children were screaming uncontrollably.

'I told them to kick, but we kept being dragged out. So I took the kids and steered them towards the side of the rip. This man on the sandbar came in up to his chest but he had firm footing; we went sideways and got to him. I was up to my chin on tippy toes and he was able to take them off my hands."

The flat calm patches on the water identify where the rip is located. Photo: Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

The red lines show were the rip is located. Photos: Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

'At that stage I turned around. The kids were screaming for their mum. She was being dragged out by the rip so I swam out quite a way to get her and had to fight to keep her safe as well," says Glenn.

By this time the mother was approximately 30-40 metres off shore and struggling. Glenn made it back to the beach with the mother who he says was realizing quite quickly that all three would have drowned if he hadn't been there.

'The realisation that she wasn't able to save her children or herself was hard to deal with,” says Glenn. 'She was being taken very quickly. With only another two minutes they would have drowned. And the mum wouldn't have been able to save herself.”

Glenn says the rip has been there for years but he has seen it grow 10-fold in the last three months.

'It's about 15 to 20 metres wide. Just severe. I have never felt such a strong rip, it's so deep as its out from a stormwater pipe so there's a big hole there. My wife and I have been watching this rip for quite a few years and it's got so wide.”

Over time, Glenn has saved a few people in the waves around Papamoa.

'But this is the worst rip I've ever been in in my life. If I hadn't had the knowledge I have…. A friend wouldn't have gone in. And if a fourth person had gone out they would have been in trouble too.”

He says during the rescue he was calling out back to shore for more people to come and help.

'There were two elderly people on the beach but they couldn't have helped. With only another two more minutes and the children would have drowned. And the mum wouldn't have been able to save herself.”

Surf Lifesaving NZ Eastern Region Manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell has erected a warning sign at the Sunbrae Grove rip.

Surf Lifesaving NZ Eastern Region Manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell says there had been two rescues carried out near the Sunbrae Grove beach access within an hour of each other on Tuesday evening.

'It was nearly all over rover,” says Chaz. 'Another person rescued two elderly people in the same spot, about 4.30pm.”

Chaz says these two rescue reports follow others which were received over the weekend with more bystanders carrying out rescues off Waiariki Street on Sunday after the lifeguard patrols had turned around and headed back to Omanu.

'The coastline from Mount Maunganui all the way down to Papamoa east is littered with large holes and troughs which feed into very strong rip currents, even though the surf is only 0.5m – 1m – these currents are extremely strong.”

There are no lifeguards on patrol during the weekdays, only on weekends between 11am and 4pm.

'We are very concerned for people's safety as the hot weather is encouraging people to the beach after school and work – we need to get the message out there that the coastline is very dangerous and people need to be extra careful,” says Chaz.

He says the rip at Sunbrae Grove beach accessway is getting stronger, and he has placed a ‘Danger Rips! No Swimming' sign at the location. The sign also has ‘Dial 111 ask for police' on it.

'The rip at the storm water pipe is about 20 to 30 metres wide, and really deep,” says Chaz. 'The two kids and mum that Glenn rescued nearly died.”

Glenn agrees.

'We would have had three fatalities if I hadn't of gone for a walk with my wife. Or if I had hesitated,” says Glenn.

'I lost my glasses which is a bit of a bummer but you can't compare that to losing a life,” says Glenn.

An Omanu Beach Surf Life Saving club member pointing out the rip at the Sunbrae Grove beach access where five people nearly drowned on Tuesday evening. Photo: Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

Key Safety messages

Swim Between the Flags - If you are heading out to the beach, choose a lifeguarded one and remember the red and yellow flags show the safest area to swim. Go to www.safeswim.org.nz to find your nearest lifeguarded beach.

3Rs RIP Survival Plan - Rips are a major hazard on New Zealand beaches and can be deadly. Learn the 3Rs Rip Survival Plan – it could save your life! Relax & Float, Raise your hand, Ride the tide.

Talk to Surf Lifeguards - Even though conditions can change quickly, our lifeguards keep a constant eye on the beach situation as they continuously scope the beach for hazards, and keep on top of weather forecasts and understand the swell and tide conditions – they're a friendly bunch too!

Know your Limits - Too many people get into trouble in the water because they simply overestimate their abilities and under-estimate the conditions.

Chaz says volunteer lifeguards will be back on patrol this coming weekend at Hot Water Beach, Whangamata, Waihi Beach, Mount Maunganui, Omanu and Papamoa. Weekend patrols at these beaches continues through until Easter weekend.