Sixteen-year-olds Ruby Woodger and Lara Kellalea were sunbaking on the shore just up from Merimbula's popular Bar Beach, when they heard screams for help from a man nearby.
While they and others rushed to help on Saturday, the man, believed to be in his 50s, became the fourth drowning death recorded across the NSW South Coast beaches this season, and summer is far from over.
Three further drowning deaths occurred at Jervis Bay last month.
In 2021-22, there were 11 drowning deaths across the NSW South Coast. The Shoalhaven and the Eurobodalla shires have 10 so-called "blackspots" for repeated coastal incidents but Bar Beach is not among them.
The Bega District News reports Ruby and Lara looked up when they heard the call, and Ruby said she saw two children playing in the shallows and a man calling out also in the water.
"We were just laying on the beach, tanning. Then we hear a guy in the water yell out 'help'," Ruby said.
"I got up and didn't know how serious it was until the kids came running over and they were pretty hysterical, and that was when we realised something was wrong.
"I ran over towards them in the water and as I started getting deeper in the water and closer to him [the man] he goes - 'There's someone down there'."
Acting on pure adrenaline, Ruby ran into the water.
"I could just see this shape in the water and as I swam closer I could see there was a person and I grabbed him and pulled him up.
"It was pretty deep, I can't really remember but when I dived under it was a fair way down and I couldn't make out, I could just see this black shape. I probably swam a couple of metres down.
"He wasn't conscious and his face was in the water so I pulled his face out of the water - I think I was trying to pull his mask off but I could just see that he was purple.
"He had a snorkel mask that was covering his whole face and he was wearing a weight vest and a weight belt," Ruby said.
Nearby Lara stood in shock as the situation unfolded, recounting Ruby's bravery as she signaled for help.
"Ruby just jumped in," Lara said.
"I started walking into the water and Ruby had already got him and was pulling him out."
Recounting the dramatic events the day after, Ruby said adrenaline just took over.
After pulling the man to surface, people at the nearby pontoon and on stand-up-paddleboards quickly became aware of the situation and came to Ruby's aid.
"The people on the paddleboards were coming over and and they chucked me their phone to call the ambulance," Lara said.
Meanwhile, Ruby continued to hold the man afloat, attempting to get him towards the shore.
"I was on my back trying to swim with him and screaming out and waving at the other people on the [stand-up paddle] boards.
"The girls on the boards came over really fast and were helping me get him in to shore with their boards.
"Once we got where I could stand I was pushing the board and he was half on it," Ruby said.
After getting the man to shore, the girls who had been on the stand-up paddleboards began CPR.
"They did CPR on him for like half an hour and mouth to mouth and everything. They were doing everything they could," Ruby said.
"By the time they [paramedics] stopped, one of the police officers came over to us and was like 'He didn't make it, there was nothing else you could've done and you did a good job'," Ruby said.
"The ambulance said he had a gut full of water and the man who was calling for help said that he was under water for a few minutes.
Ruby praised the work of the girls on the paddle boards nearby.
"The girls that did CPR were incredible, they were with the body the whole time," she said.
Officers from South Coast Police District are conducting inquiries and will prepare a report for the coroner.
