Aussie musician risks his life to save boy drowning in rough waters

A Sydney musician has been hailed as a hero for saving a boy drowning at a beach in New York.

Roy Molloy, a saxophonist, was at New York’s Rockaway Beach at the weekend when he noticed a boy yelling and screaming in the water, CBS2 reports.

No lifeguards were on duty after a public holiday, so Mr Molloy leapt off some rocks and pulled the boy to safety.

“He was floundering – drowning,” Mr Molloy said.

“I don’t think he would have been able to get himself in [to shore]. No way.”

Luckily, a surfer was also out riding the waves and managed to help too.

Alex Cameron, a musician whom Mr Molloy plays for, paid tribute to him on Twitter.

Mr Cameron said his friend “didn’t think twice” about coming to the boy’s rescue.

“Jumped in off the rocks and got to him before he drowned,” he tweeted.

“The guy is a full time operator.”

Mr Molloy later tweeted: “Sax practice and keeping the beach safe are not mutually exclusive”.

Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe labelled Mr Cameron a “legend” on Twitter due to his heroic exploits.

Others called him “selfless” and a “brave man.”

The boy was the third to be rescued from the water on Sunday.

One resident said the surf was the worst it had been in 40 years, with police warning residents to stay out of the water in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.