KEY POINTS:
Four young children were saved from drowning on Saturday night while their mother sat nearby in a parked car, unaware that they were in danger.
The children, believed to be aged between 8 and 12, were swimming at Mt Maunganui when they got into difficulty at about 9pm.
Rescuers said they could hear two of the younger children in shallow waters calling out for help, while the older two were up to 100m offshore and struggling to stay afloat in fading light. One of the older children had become confused and disoriented after swallowing a large volume of water and rescuers believe he was moments away from drowning when help arrived.
The struggling children were spotted by lifeguards who were at the Mount for the Lion Foundation Surf League Carnival.
Taranaki lifeguard Rosa Antunovic, 15, said she was out practising some board work with fellow lifeguards Jared Gray and Isaac Owen, both 16, when their coach asked them to check on the four children.
"There were two stuck in the shallow bit, it was tumbling waters and it wasn't very safe," Rosa told the Herald.
"Another kid was stuck at the back and his brother went in to rescue him but he had really baggy shorts on so he just got dragged down and couldn't swim properly."
The three paddled out to the children who were the furthest out. Jared and Isaac then used a board to transport the children back to shore.
"We paddled over and one of them just kept sinking under the water," said Jared. "Me and Isaac had to lift him up - he couldn't move and didn't know where he was."
United North Piha's Brent Aries, who was working as an event lifeguard at the carnival, dived in to rescue the two youngest children.
"I ended up chucking one over my shoulder and one under my arm while the three on the boards went out and grabbed the other two."
Once all the children were returned safety to the beach an ambulance was called and they were taken to their mother - who was sitting in a parked car and unaware of what was going on - before being transported to hospital.
Rosa Antunovic said she was left "buzzing" after the rescue.
"We all just worked together pretty well - it was a pretty amazing experience."
