An American expat is warning other tourists to be careful after she was “30 seconds away from drowning” at a popular Aussie beach. Natalie Reese was swimming with her friend Kon on the Gold Coast last weekend when their delightful dip in the ocean suddenly took a “terrifying” turn.
The 23-year-old, who moved to Queensland just before the new year, told Yahoo News that despite being a “strong swimmer”, she’s always been aware of the dangers of rips. They remain one of the greatest and most common hazards on Aussie beaches, claiming multiple lives every year.
Drowning is one of the most common causes of death for tourists, and on Saturday, Natalie said she got frighteningly close to becoming another victim.
After she and Kon wandered into the water near Surfers Paradise, the American said she could feel the pull of the ocean, but it seemed “very doable”.
Making sure to stay between the flags, the pair stood about waist-deep.
“I think we were in there for probably 25 minutes before things started to get a little out of control. The sand bars were really uneven, so it was kind of like one minute I was standing and able to touch very easily, and then the next minute, I was completely knocked off and unable to touch the floor,” she explained.
The next thing she knew, her head was underwater.
“I still wasn’t panicked at that point because I am a strong swimmer and I know what to do… and all of a sudden I notice that I’m out of the lines of the flag…[then] a big wave comes crashes over my head,” she said.
‘I was probably 30 seconds from drowning’
Knowing she needed to get back to shore before things got worse, the 23-year-old, who took a swim safety class while studying abroad in Australia previously, tried to ride a wave back in but “nothing was working”.
Worried, she yelled to Kon that she was “struggling”, to which he replied “me too”.
“Then I was like, ‘Oh crap. We might be in some bad territory here’.”
She kept paddling toward the sand as waves “left crashing and crashing and crashing”.
Surf Life Saving’s guide to spotting a rip current and what to do if swept up in one. Source: Supplied
Despite her efforts to fight off the “whirlwind of bad”, Natalie and Kon kept getting pulled back out. They were in a rip.
It was then two lifeguards shouted out, and the expat responded that she needed help.
“They swam right next to me and kind of scooped me up, which was really impressive, I don’t know how they did that,” the young woman told Yahoo.
“In the moment, it was terrifying. I think I was probably 30 seconds or a minute away from drowning.”
Luckily, another person at the beach was also able to help Kon get back to the shore.
Expat ‘wouldn’t be here’ if it weren’t for the lifeguards
Without the two lifeguards, Natalie said she “wouldn’t be here right now”.
“That’s a scary thought, but more so I think that lifeguards are the unsung heroes in a lot of people’s and tourists’ stories,” she pondered.
The Californian native has now urged other expats to always swim between the flags, and to not let their ego get in the way of asking for help.
“It is not embarrassing to wave down a lifeguard if you are feeling unsafe, or feel like you are losing your power to swim back, and always educate yourself on surf safety,” she said, adding the incident has changed how she will approach ocean swimming in the future.
“I thought this would never happen to me, but the ocean has a way of humbling you — at the end of the day, the ocean is stronger than any human.”
In 2025, Australia recorded its highest drowning death toll in decades. Tragically, 357 drownings were reported between July 1 2024 and June 30 last year.
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