Now living in Wollongong, Mr Pellow was making a brief visit to the beach when he saw a man struggling in the water.

“I wouldn’t have been able to stand there and not help someone,” Mr Pellow said.

After jumping in and swimming out, Mr Pellow and another good samaritan, reached the 19-year-old stricken swimmer.

“The first thing he said when we reached him was ‘thankyou’”, Mr Pellow said.

“Sometimes people who are drowning can pull you under.. but he wasn’t dangerous at all. He just needed help.”

They were in the water for a few minutes before a surfer came over and helped them bring the man ashore on his board, where he collapsed and was later administered oxygen, then taken to hospital for checks.

A professional triathlete, Mr Pellow - who was a member of the Dubbo Triathlon Club and who has competed in various Ironman challenges across Australia and overseas, said he was able to use that knowledge to his advantage to help him breathe when he hit the cold water.

“I’ve never been in a situation like that before...It was quite a good feeling to help,” he said.

“His family approached me and said ‘thank you’.”

The beach was the same place where only 8 days prior to Mr Pellow’s heroism, Victorian man Shaun Oliver, lost his life swimming to the aid of a child.

“As I was running over it was the only thing I was thinking about,” Mr Pellow told Fairfax Media. 

“I was thinking, ‘oh God, it’s happening again’.”

In the wake of Monday’s near-drowning, Mr Pellow proposes a patrol roster based on warm weather, rather than a calendar. 

“At the end of the day if it comes to saving someone’s life (by having more lifeguards on patrol) I don’t think it will bother anyone,” he said. 

He also said as Australia was so water orientated, not only to oceans, but rivers and pools too, he would like to see all children involved in swimming lessons.

“And triathlons.. it’s a great upbringing for kids because it gives them lots of skills they use later in life,” he said.