Selfless 14 year old saves a life

It was shortly after Christmas 2016 that 14-year-old Taylia Ryan spotted a 12-year-old girl in trouble. Taylia and her mum, Margaret, were camping at Wellington Dam in Collie when they saw a girl in an inflatable boat drifting further and further away from shore.

Aware that there was a strong wind, and hearing the girl’s mother calling for help, Taylia swung into action. She grabbed a nearby kayak and alerted her mum to the situation.

Taylia paddled out to the girl, who at this point was about a kilometre away, and managed to bring her back to shore to the safety of her mother.

Although she had no formal lifesaving skills, Taylia didn’t hesitate to help the girl. “Taylia didn’t even stop to think what she was doing and how fast things could turn – all she was thinking about was saving the young girl and getting her back to her loving family,” dad Troy explains.

“The girl’s family couldn’t thank her enough for what she had done.”

Taylia received a Gold Medallion Bravery Award at Royal Life Saving WA’s Bravery Awards in 2017.