67- year-old Margaret Macfarlane helped five people escape death, after four were caught in a rip current on New Year’s Day at Breakas Beach Resort.

Ms Macfarlane shared her story with this newspaper.

“I was sitting at home at one of those apartments at Surf Side when i heard a lady screaming, well i just had visitors and i was still wearing my dress,” she said.

“I then saw four people being pulled away from shore with this rip current, i was in a lot of stress with my dress when i pulled my paddle board and went out to these four,” she said.

“The first two was a man and a woman. They were close by, so i managed to grab them.”

Macfarlane said they held onto the paddle board and she brought them to the shore, before she went to aid the third and fourth.

“When i went to rescue the third one — he was way out — as i went to rescue him, and he was calling out ‘daddy! daddy’’ to the fourth person,” she continued.

“The fourth person was an old man he was really out and the current was too strong for him, even when i went there to get him he was too tired to lie on his back on the board. Luckily, two rescuers came to the rescue.”

One of these rescuers was Lopez Adams who owns Coffee Tree cafe.

“With their help, we managed to get this old man on the board,” she said.

“During this course, there was another 18-year-old boy, he was having trouble so we got him on the board as well. We then called ProMedical who came to check on all of them.”

Macfarlane who has been saving lives at sea at the Gold Coast 20 years ago commended the team work they all showed to rescue the five.

“I have been doing this for a while, but it was real team effort to save all those lives,” MacFarlane said.

“I still have nightmares about it.”

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST