Heroic grandfather plunges into ocean to save wife in NSW

The heroic act of a 71-year-old grandfather has saved the life of his wife after they slipped off a rock wall into the ocean along with their two grandsons on Thursday.

The family had been walking along a remote bush track at Stanwell Park south of Sydney when the unfortunate series of events unfolded.

“I closed my eyes and could feel myself backflipping, for some reason,” the youngest grandson told 9News.

The two grandsons, 13 and 10, along with their grandfather, were able to pull themselves from the waves but the woman, aged in her 70s, was unable to do so after sustaining and injury and required further assistance.

The grandfather then made the courageous decision to jump back into the water and kept her afloat for 30 minutes until help arrived.

NSW Ambulance chief inspector Norm Rees told ABC News it was a difficult rescue given the location. “It was quite a task — it was a long and hard walk in, 20 to 30 minutes, and that doubled to walk them out,” he said. “I think there were about 15 to 20 emergency services personnel involved and everybody was rescued.”

After being winched from the water by emergency crews, the woman was flown to Royal North Shore hospital for further treatment after sustaining a spinal injury as a result of the ordeal.