Josh Miller and Jed White, both 16, were at Back Beach when they noticed a young boy struggling to swim, and his dad calling for help.

"The father ran into the water and started yelling 'grab the boogie board, grab the board'," Jed said.

"As soon as that happened, instincts just kicked in.

"The dad and the son were both getting to the stage where they were struggling a bit.

"Josh and I got the board and I raced in while he went to call emergency services."

Neither Jed nor Josh have lifesaving experience but acted on instinct.

"The boy was stuck in a rip, so we had to get him on the board and then slowly let ourselves be brought into shore.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"We couldn't paddle in, and there were rocks so it was a little scary," Jed said.

Josh said it was far from the day at the beach he'd envisioned.

"It was really fight or flight," he said. "The boy and his dad were just getting pushed further back and back."

Both Jed and Josh praised the response times from emergency service and said the father thanked them both multiple times for their help.

The young boy was looked at by the paramedics at the scene before being transported to Mersey Community Hospital for further checks.

Jed's mother, Karleen White, said she had initially said no when Jed had asked that morning if he could have a beach day.

Now, she shudders to think about what could have happened if she hadn't changed her mind.

"I just can't imagine how that poor dad felt, wondering if he was going to lose his son right in front of him," Mrs White said.

"I'm just so proud of Jed and his mate. So often, you hear about the bad things that teenagers are getting up to, but there are really good kids out there," she said.

"Everyone was so quick to act. They just really deserve a pat on the back."

Both Jed and Josh said they were a bit shaken by what had happened and were exhausted today, but we're proud of themselves.

"I'm just relieved Josh and I went down there," Jed said. "I can't believe we almost didn't."

The Devonport Surf Life Saving Club said they received an emergency call-out at about 3.30pm on Thursday, but by the time they arrived the rescue had been completed.

Club vice president Luke Emmett said it was a good result for what could have been a very sad outcome.

"Yesterday's conditions were very rough," he said.

"It's a good reminder to stay aware of the conditions and learn what to do in a rip.