The Australian beach tragedy that inspired a global rip safety movement

Steve Kudzius is not comfortable talking about himself. He would love nothing more than for this story to be told with only the most fleeting of references to his input. Better still, no mention at all.

The only problem for Kudzius is that without him and his heroics and his PTSD and his several-hundred-thousand dollars, there is no Rip Current Rescue International.

On Good Friday 2016, half a dozen people rushed to the aid of a young family when their seven-year-old daughter was swept out to sea by a rip at the unpatrolled Dreamtime Beach. In chaotic scenes lasting up to 30 minutes, their bodies took a battering as they shielded Rihanna Milabo from jagged rocks and 2m waves.

Kudzius then had to face his own mental demons.

Rip currents are the number one coastal hazard in Australia, contributing to an average of 26 deaths each year, while 3.7 million Australian adults have been unintentionally caught in a rip.

According to SLSA research, one in three Australian adults do not know how to identify a rip, while 56% are not confident in their ability to do so. In 2020-21 alone, Surf Life Saving volunteers and lifeguards performed more than 8,000 rescues around Australia, and while there was no breakdown of causes, Brander says there is no doubt most were due to rips.

Blending science with stories of survival and tragedy, Rip Current Heroes aired on National Geographic Australia, and was later screened by Qantas and Jetstar on domestic and international flights. Rip current study guides were also made available to every school in Australia free of charge.

Markland then set his sights further afield, seeking to produce a version for the US. Kudzius and wife Erin, whose company Pinnacle Scientific Australia supplies equipment to hospitals and laboratories, once again answered the call to arms.

The Kudziuses also funded the creation of a website, and are now supporting the production of Rip Current Rescue International, which sees Markland working with beach safety authorities in Mexico, South Africa, Costa Rica, France, the US, Brazil, the Philippines and the UK to bring the rip current safety message to the global stage.

And what of the now-teenage girl who owes her life to his brother?