Bondi Rescue star Terry McDermott’s heroic rescue of young girl before his death from cancer

The heroic moment a Bondi Rescue star saved a young girl who was just seconds away from drowning has resurfaced as loved ones pay tribute to the late lifeguard.

Terry McDermott rescued countless swimmers at various beaches during his career as a lifeguard before he died on September 1 after a battle with cancer.

But one rescue that struck a chord with both Mr McDermott and fans of the hit Australian TV show was the rescue of a young child at Sydney‘s famous Bondi Beach.

Mr McDermott noticed from the shore that the girl was struggling to stay afloat and repeatedly disappearing under the water.

With nearby swimmers unaware the girl was in serious trouble, the lifeguard immediately dove into the water with his rescue board.

‘You’ve got to strip down, get the board, get in the water, hope you don’t get slowed by waves coming in and sprint to the patient,’ Mr McDermott said at the time.

He was able to get to the girl just in time, pulling her onto his board as she gasped for air.

‘Thank you!’ she said in between breaths.

The pair returned to shore safely with Mr McDermott telling the young girl’s mother she nearly drowned.

‘She was definitely at a point, at a serious point by the time I made contact with her,’ he said.

For the seasoned lifeguard it was an especially emotional rescue, as he lost his own son just a week after birth.

‘Especially with (rescues of) young kids like that, because I lost my son, I know that feeling,’ he said.

‘My boy was trapped in the birth canal and had complications which cut the oxygen off for ten minutes, but the result was a week later he died.

‘Whenever I do a rescue of a young child, that comes to the surface. If she (the mother) lost that beautiful little girl, she’d know what I’m talking about.’

Mr McDermott’s colleagues described him as ‘one of the nicest watermen to don a jersey’ as they paid tribute to his 30-year career as a lifeguard where he saved ‘countless’ lives.

Mr McDermott leaves behind his wife Joanna and son Matt. 

Mr McDermott spent 20 years working as a lifeguard on the NSW Central Coast and 10 years patrolling Bondi Beach.

He died surrounded by family and friends after a battle with cancer.

Tributes for Mr McDermott flowed from fans of the show located around the world.

‘This is truly sad. I will be praying for you, your family, and your lifeguard family. You were an incredible lifeguard. I loved watching Bondi on YouTube here on the east coast in the USA. This breaks my heart,’ one international fan posted. 

‘Such very sad news. I loved watching him from Ireland on Bondi Rescue,’ another person commented. 

‘RIP Terry. Thank you for being you. Thank you for your service. What an awesome man you were. May you Rest In Peace.’

Co-star Trent Maxwell also shared a moving tribute to Mr McDermott, thanking him for ‘teaching me the ropes of lifeguarding’. 

‘I will miss you mate, never a dull moment. You were a great waterman and always had some great wisdom to share to the young blokes. We had some great times together you will be missed,’ Mr Maxwell wrote.

‘Terry was a charismatic articulate character who always had a wonderful story to tell,’ Sunshine Coast Lifeguards posted as a tribute.

‘He was a friend and colleague to many Lifeguards around the country and in fact well known all over the world.’

Mr McDermott had documented his fight against prostate cancer on social media since being diagnosed on Anzac Day in 2020.