SURF'S UP, WH ANAU! - We save lives together

BAY PATROL SHOWCASES THE SPECIAL TALENTS OF ONE MOPTOPPED FAMILY

- Rebekah Hebenton

When the Reeder family followed their passion for surf lifesaving, they never imagined that it would make them TV stars. And with their almost identical looks and striking fair hair, the four siblings are hard to miss in the thrilling Three show, Bay Patrol, about the lifeguards who patrol the iconic Mount Maunganui beaches.

On the show, the two oldest Reeders – Sam, 19, and Zac, 17 – were heavily involved in one of the most intense searches of the season.

Tay Street Beach is renowned in the Mount for its rips and even strong swimmers struggle to contend with it. It was early in their shift when a distressed mother approached the guards, saying her seven-year-old son had vanished in the water.

The parents had left the boy playing near the water’s edge, keeping an eye out while they packed up their belongings. The father looked away for a moment and when he looked back, his son was gone. The inconsolable pair could only watch on as the lifeguards searched the surf, eventually calling in police and the search and rescue helicopter to help.

Thankfully, the boy was found safe and sound, but Sam says, “It brought home the reality of how quicky someone can disappear in the ocean.”