Lifesaver Georgia was on patrol at Bennetts Beach on October 26, the same time Amelia Samuel, of Winda Woppa, and her father, Doug, were enjoying the windy day with some kite flying.

It was Amelia’s first time at the helm of a colourful kite, which had arrived from her grandfather who lives in Darwin.

The two-year-old insisted on holding the string herself and was watching it sail higher and higher when a stray gust of wind wrenched the handle out of her little hands.

An under-nine nippers race stopped to watch the drama of the runaway kite with Mr Samuel in hot pursuit of the bouncing handle escaping across the sand towards the water.

Within seconds the kite was out to sea.

‘‘At first it seem to defy gravity and sailed high above the surfers below,’’ Mr Samuel said.

‘‘Then gravity won and in it drifted back to the ocean.

‘‘It was 200 metres off shore and miraculously it took off up again rising higher than before, leaving those on the beach to wonder at the strange phenomenon of a runaway kite high in the sky without the weight of its little pilot.’’

Seconds before the kite crashed into the surf, the string handle had bounced into Georgia’s surf boat.

In a flash, she caught it and pulled hard on the string sending the kite in the air once again.

After a few minutes of enjoying a rare kite flying from her surf boat experience, Georgia’s patrol made  for the shore and gave the kite handle to Amelia.

‘‘Amelia thought it was business as usual that the Hawks Nest surf club rescue boat was just there to look after her runaway kite,’’ Mr Samuel said.