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Mum opens up on terrifying moment she was caught in unseen rip

A mother-of-two from New South Wales is counting her blessings after getting caught in a dangerous but invisible rip at a beach she had been visiting for 38 years.

On Saturday, former surf lifesaver Kathy Haines decided to take a dip with her sons at Woolgoolga Main Beach after a busy day of cycling.

The beach wasn't patrolled but Ms Haines told The Daily Examiner that she thought she knew the beach well enough to feel safe swimming there.

The family were swimming towards the shore when they got dragged out in a strong rip.

Kathy Haines said getting caught in a rip was worse than her car accident. Source: Facebook/Kathy Anne Haines
Kathy Haines said getting caught in a rip was worse than her car accident. Source: Facebook/Kathy Anne Haines

"The waves kept coming over and over," she told The Daily Examiner.

"They kept coming over our heads, they weren't pushing us in (to shore)."

Ms Haines, who has previously been involved in a head-on car accident, said being caught in a rip was a much scarier experience.

Ms Haines had been visiting Wooloolga Beach (pictured) for years but said she would never swim at an unpatrolled beach again. Source: Google Maps
Ms Haines had been visiting Wooloolga Beach (pictured) for years but said she would never swim at an unpatrolled beach again. Source: Google Maps

"Honestly, this is worse," she said. "It only takes a couple of seconds to get exhausted."

It took two backpacking boardriders to pull her and her sons to safety.

Ms Haines said she would never swim at an unpatrolled beach again - even if the waters looked deceptively calm.