ABC News story on beach rescue by water polo coach/expert swimmer and good samaritan Robert Palmer, right on time to help boy and sister:

STINSON BEACH, Calif. (KGO) --Rough waves triggered a record number of rescues at Stinson Beach in Marin County over the weekend. One rescuer was just enjoying his day at the beach, now he's being called a hero.

There were 17 rescues at the beach -- 10 on Sunday, including a 13-year-old boy and his eight-year-old sister who got caught in a rip current.

Palmer is a water polo coach at Tamalpais High School and expert swimmer. He saw the kids struggling in the water at 3 p.m. Sunday and jumped in.

"That young man who was helping keep his sister a float had exhausted all of his energy. He could not walk, he could not stand, he could not talk. He was in bad shape," said Palmer.

(via "MAN RESCUES 2 KIDS IN DANGEROUS SURF AT STINSON BEACH", ABC News - click for video)

A good brother too.

Good advice surfers and others follow:

The message is go with the flow and never fight against a rip current. Swim parallel to the shore to get out of it.