North Wollongong: Terrifying moment a giant wave washes away a child
A young girl is lucky to be alive thanks to her father’s heroic act after a huge wave swept her into rough waters.
Footage of the incident shows the toddler toddling on the breakwater in North Wollongong at around midday on Saturday with her father, 40, close behind her.
The area was under a barrage of intense waves, fueled by a monster storm that hit much of the east coast the night before.
One wave crashed against the breakwater and dumped a huge amount of water on the girl, overwhelming her before she disappeared into the rough, white water below.
Even though the little girl was barely visible, the father frantically swung over the railing and jumped into the water to help save his daughter.
Heartbreaking footage has emerged of a father bravely diving into rough waters to save his daughter who was swept away by a large wave (pictured)
Watchers of the dramatic scenes predicted the pair would be ‘overthrown here’ before gasping as the father jumped into the water.
Four ambulances and a rescue helicopter were sent to the scene, while others grabbed nearby life preservers to pull the two to safety.
The father could be seen desperately holding the young girl as he fought to stay afloat in the choppy waters.
One witness said the father was exhausted from the moment he was pulled from the water, adding there was only ‘seconds’ of wiggle room to save them.
A spokesperson for NSW Ambulance told Daily Mail Australia the pair were treated for ingestion of small amounts of water and minor abrasions.
They were taken to Wollongong Hospital in a stable condition.
Just hours before the dramatic incident, an Airbnb cabin in Wollongong was swept away by heavy rain with a young couple inside.
The pair escaped the cabin with only a few scratches on their legs in a scene neighbors described as straight out of an action movie.
Others said they were surprised they made it out alive after it was forced down a creek before crashing into a nearby bridge.