Leigh Millott jumped into the water without a moment’s thought – after all, a family was caught in a rip, struggling to stay afloat.
“If it was me in that situation, or my children, I’d want others to help,” Mr Millott says.
On January 27, 2014, the Kurunjang man went to the rescue of a family of four drowning at a beach at Apollo Bay.
His efforts were honoured at the Royal Humane Society of Australasia’s annual bravery award presentation last month.
“I saw the daughter trying to save the dad, but [she] couldn’t do anything and she was starting to get pulled into the rip,” Mr Millott says. “So I got to the mother first because she was the closest, and then I went back in to get the kids.”
Mr Millott swam towards the father, who he thought was dead.
“I put him on my back and swam out of the rip … when we got back to the shore, we both just collapsed.
“I didn’t do it for the award or to be recognised – I’m just glad to know he was safe and the family was back together.”
The 31-year-old says he owes his lifesaving skills to Bear Grylls, whose documentaries he finds are “very, very useful”.
