The two boys, both 15, were swimming with their mates, Ryan Gilbert, 18, Jeremy Smith, 15, Harley Smith, 17, Doug Marlin, 17, Owen Gilbert, 16, Chad Tombs, 16, Tiana Torillo, 15 and Julie Cameron, 18, at Bents Basin in Wallacia when their peaceful afternoon was interrupted by a girl, 16, losing consciousness in the water.

Her brother, who was not a strong swimmer, screamed out to the group who all dived into the river and swam to her rescue.

Bradley and Tom said they didn't expect to be using their new skills so soon.

``She was unconscious and sinking to the bottom by the time we reached her,'' Bradley said.

``We just knew we had to get her out of the water as quick as we could or she would drown.

``We had her on her back and Ryan, who's a strong swimmer, pulled her out.''

Once they reached the shore the boys used their CPR skills and put the girl on her side, tilted her head back and opened her mouth to clear her airway.

She started to vomit and they said they considered driving her to the hospital but she began to fit and looked extremely ill.

One of their friends, Tiana, called an ambulance and before long three ambulance crews, a rescue helicopter, several police cars and Channel 7 News were on the scene.

Police said the girl was taken to hospital and has since been released.

Bradley told the Advertiser that the recent media coverage of their rescue was ``a little overboard''.

``We were just at the right spot at the right time and did what anyone would have done,'' he said.

``We may have done ourselves proud but we didn't expect all of this.''