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A quick-thinking nine-year-old boy sounded the alarm when he spotted a mother and daughter adrift in South Australia.
Harley Londema noticed two swimmers struggling about 7pm yesterday and ran to his stepmother Georgia Livingston, who dialled triple zero.
"It looked like they were waving, but it looked like they needed help and were trying to yell," he told 9News.
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While emergency services were on their way, lifesavers and brothers Tom and Michael Knauer paddled out.
"It was windy so I'm not surprised that they got swept off the beach … by the time we got there, they were a long way out," Tom said.
The mother and daughter ended up 400 metres out from sea and fighting to stay afloat.
"The daughter was holding the mum up, just trying to keep her head above water as she was gasping for air," Michael said.
"I think if I had been another minute or so she would have gone under."
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Harley said when the pair were rescued, the mother was too exhausted to get on the board and couldn't speak.
The 17-year-old daughter was assessed by paramedics while her 45-year-old mother was taken to Flinders Medical Centre.
Surf Life Saving SA has said the rescue efforts were worthy of national recognition and will seek to nominate everyone involved for an award with Surf Life Saving Australia.
