Amohia Afeaki and Sabrina Parsons

A 15 year-old Tongan girl and her friend are being praised for their heroism after rescuing two drowning men off a beach in northland, New Zealand.

 Best mates Amohia Afeaki and Sabrina Parsons were out boogie boarding when they suddenly noticed two men calling out for help.

 The Northland Advocate reported that Amohia quickly responded to the distress “There were these two Indian men calling ‘help’ and putting their hands in the air. No one was going, so I swam out there,” she said.

She discovered the pair we’re drowning so she signalled to her friend to swim over with her board. The slimmer man took hold of Amohia’s board, while Sabrina who is also 15-years-old battled to make a 150 kilo man hang on to hers.

“When I got him on to my board, his eyes were rolled back and he wasn’t responding,” Sabrina said. “I shouted to him to listen and to breathe in for two seconds and out for two seconds.”

“That got him breathing regularly but then he started panicking again. He was so panicked he kept rolling the board and going under.”

The girls signalled for help bringing swimmers, kayaks and a boat to the scene. A third member of the group was also rescued out of the water by two other teens.

The Indian men were taken back shore and rushed to hospital. Six others including the girls also had to be rushed to hospital for swallowing too much water. All have been discharged.

Both girls are from Auckland and are on holiday with Amohia’s family. The pair said they became friends through Sea Scouts, which they say gave them the skills to initiate the rescue.

The rescued men were in the 30’s and are living in Auckland.