True Blues hailed as heroes after surf rescue
True Blue Reagan Campbell-Gillard has played down his heroics after he and Paul Vaughn helped save a mother and son struggling in the surf at Shellharbour on Saturday afternoon.
Peter Gavin, a member of the surf club, spoke highly of the pair “for assisting our Patrol to rescue a mother and son who got into trouble in a rip.”
The Parramatta Eels forward later insisted that he and Vaughan were simply “in the right place at the right time.”
“It's not like we ran into the beach to save them,” Campbell Gillard told NRl.com.
“We didn't do that, we were just (a short distance away in the water). We just grabbed them.”
When asked whether he was fearful during the encounter, Campbell-Gillard said, “You just do it. There were lifeguards on duty at the time and they all came to get them at the time, but myself and Paul were there at the right place at the right time.
“I’m pretty sure anyone would have done it, but it had to be myself and him (Vaughn). It’s something that you have to do and you wouldn’t second guess yourself.”
“We kind of asked (the mother and son) the question; they said they were in a bit of trouble. It wasn’t looking too good; they were in a pretty bad rip. I’m not a hero, It was a pretty serious situation.
“We just helped them out of the surf and that was it. Went home, had a few beers.”
Campbell-Gillard represented NSW in 2018 and was part of the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues extended squad for last year’s Ampol State of Origin series. Vaughan represented the Blues when they won the Shield in 2018-19.