The Surf Live Saving Meritorious Awards recognise the bravery of individuals like Mrs Dean, a mother of three.

Mrs Dean and her friend Lynda Thompson - One Mile Beach caravan park regulars - had been on an afternoon walk about 4.30pm on January 5. 

“The mum came running up to us for help,” Mrs Thompson of Elderslie said.

Wearing a summer dress Mrs Dean, Castle Hill, grabbed a nearby body board and braved the shore breakers.

The waves forced Mrs Thompson to turn back. She instead scoured the beach for anyone with a mobile phone to call Triple-0.

Half way out Mrs Dean lost the body board when she attempted to tighten the leash. Nonetheless, she managed to wade out to them.

Mrs Dean said the girl, about 13 or 14, had begun to pull her dad under.

“I said to her, ‘don’t panic, I managed to walk most of the way out, let go of your Dad, you can float like me’.”

Mrs Thompson said it was about this time a lifeguard had set off up the beach in his buggy. Mrs Dean estimated she had only been in the water a couple of minutes.

“The lifeguard said to me ‘keep doing what you’re doing’,” Mrs Dean said.

The girl was taken ashore.

“It felt like only a matter of seconds and the lifeguard was back to me,” Mrs Dean said.

The girl’s father was then retrieved while Mrs Dean found her way onto a sandbank and back to the shore.

Mrs Thompson had reached a man with a mobile to make the emergency call.

Out of the water, Mrs Dean said her legs “were like jelly”. She said that the dad had thanked her as the paramedics and police arrived at the scene.

“We walked back in silence,” Mrs Thompson said.

“Back at the van my husband said, ‘have you been swimming fully dressed’?

“I said, ‘let me shower off and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Mrs Dean said she barely slept that night.

“I didn’t want to close my eyes,” she said.

“I kept thinking, ‘I hope she’s OK’. I would still like to know.”

The Port Stephens chief of lifeguards Phil Rock said Mrs Dean’s efforts potentially saved the dad’s life.

“Sue has done a great job,” Port Stephens lifeguard supervisor Phil Rock said.

“She’s been able to provide assistance while waiting for the lifeguard to arrive.”

Mr Rock said the incident was a timely reminder for all beach goers.

“People wishing to swim should always swim between the red and yellow flags,” he said.