I was standing by the flags tower taking photos of the lifesavers when I sensed something was wrong. Looking about, I saw her. Then a guy went to her and was trying to help. He called to a pair of nearby swimmers for assistance.
Luckily, those nearby were Papamoa club captain Shaun Smith and his younger son Paul, who were out swimming beyond the breakers for just such an occurrence. Shaun recognised her predicament and swiftly swam to the rescue.
Between them they performed a two-person tow rescue in which they held her under an arm each and then they kicked back to shore.
Back in shallow water the woman was thoroughly embarrassed, but safe.
It happened so fast and the rescue was done so expertly that I doubt anyone nearby noticed the drama.
The next day another rescue took place in front of me, this time caused by not thinking, not bad luck.
Some blokes hunting for crabs directly in front of the Papamoa Surf Club building were way outside the flags and in a large hole.
Suddenly all hell broke loose as Shaun banged urgently on the tower windows to alert a couple of young guards to the fact one of the crab hunters "was beginning to climb the ladder".
That is a term where an exhausted swimmer starts to vertically dogpaddle in a bid to keep head above water.
The eagle-eyed Shaun had seen that from about 100 metres away, proving the value of experience, and it was go-go-go time.
Again Paul Smith was involved in the action but the leading lifeguard into the water was Fergus Rieger.
Both sped out towing tubes and Fergus made it to the guy not a moment too soon as his head was half underwater as he gasped for air.
There was relief all round as the tube gave him something to hold on to and then the young lifeguard pulled him back into the shallows and safety.
The crab hunter was exhausted, but managed to smile as he walked on to the sands.
A good job done by the guards but, in my opinion, the man's unthinking actions had him very close to what one guard described as being someone "who could have drowned in plain sight".
Why? You ask. Well, he clearly got out of his depth. In trouble, he didn't raise his arm to alert lifeguards to his peril.
He didn't swim between the flags and went into the rough water wearing runners. I know crabs can pay you back by munching on your toes but ...
Mind you, he could have fought them off with the two sets of tongs he still had in his hand!
That swimmer is a very, very lucky man.
Some people really don't help themselves, do they?
Like those who choose not to swim between the flags when the beaches are filled with holes and rips.
Or those who give surf lifesavers grief when they are asked to stay in the designated areas to keep them safe.
They are just trying to keep you safe, people, and it's no skin off anyone else's nose if you drown.
Well done to all the lifesavers who protect our beaches.
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One does have to laugh at the case of Kiwi bloke Mark John Taylor.
For Taylor is one of those Kiwis who like to go abroad and create mayhem. His efforts were not being drunk travelling through Britain or Europe, but rather not shaving and taking up the call of the mad mullahs of the Islamic State.
Taylor is now Mohammad Daniel, or Abu Abdul Rahman, and he is somewhere in Jihadistan.
Actually, anti-terror authorities knew exactly where he was because jihadist whatever-his-name-is accidentally left on the tracking function of his phone when he was Twittering his exploits.
Not once, but on more than 30 occasions!
Oooops. What a Twit.
• richard@richardmoore.com
Richard Moore is an award-winning Western Bay journalist and photographer.
