Holidaymakers pulled from water by locals in stand-up paddleboard drama at Cheynes Beach

Two holidaymakers were pulled from the water by rescuers after they were dragged hundreds of metres out to sea on stand-up paddleboards at Cheynes Beach earlier this month. Paul Lawson was having a coffee in his holiday home at Cheynes Beach on Sunday, January 10, when he saw the visiting couple in trouble. “We’ve got a beach house so we were sitting inside having a coffee and saw it all unfolding,” Mr Lawson said. “The lady got caught in the wind and the bloke decided to jump on another paddleboard to rescue her. “By the time he got out to her, she’d fallen off her board and the wind had blown it further out. “They were still both getting blown out to sea and by now were hundreds of metres offshore.” Mr Lawson got his boat in the water and rushed to their aid, bringing them both on board. Brian and Jeanette Fuller, of Albany, had also spotted the couple drifting out to sea from their holiday home at Cheynes Beach. Mr Fuller launched his jet ski to help with the rescue. “They were just past the creek and you could see they were in trouble,” Mrs Fuller said. “The offshore wind was just so strong, they were not a chance to get back by themselves.” Mr Lawson said the couple were very shaken by the experience. “They were both panicking,” he said. “It was their first time using paddleboards. “Both of them called up to my house a couple of hours later to thank me. “It was a learning curve even for my kids to see it happen and see just how quickly things can change.”