Tathra surf lifeguards reignite John's love of the ocean using beach wheelchair

The smile that filled his face remained as two surf lifeguards wheeled him towards the oncoming waves.

He wasn't nervous, he felt safe alongside Tony McCabe, a full-time lifeguard at Tathra Beach on the NSW Far South Coast.

As the first wave approached, John gripped firmly on to the handles connected to the two large yellow buoys that kept him afloat.

The wave began to curl, and just before the lip of the wave crashed in his presence, Tony punched the buggy forward.

"We are getting as much out of it as Johnno is. We're getting smashed," Tony said.

John suddenly ducked his head, before breaking the surface with bouts of laughter, water dripping down his face, and his smile still present.

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"It's nice to get in the water, but it's even better to get under the waves...something I haven't been able to do for close to 20 years," said John.

Twenty years ago in November 2002, John awoke one morning feeling unusual. He turned to his wife, Karyn, and said, "There's something wrong. I have double vision and feel weak."

Emergency at 7.30am, ICU at 7.30pm, eight months on a ventilator and a further 10 months in hospital. John had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare disorder where the body's immune system damages nerves.

"I was rendered completely paralysed," he recalled.

"Fortunately, I have a magnificent family and a network of friends, especially my amazing wife Karyn."

This summer, Tony offered to take John out.

"If you're here in February, wait until then and I can take you out during the week," Tony said.

"He was so happy for me to come down every day. I took him up on that!" John said while laughing.

"I went four weeks in a row. It's been good to get back into the waves."

Tony said the beach wheelchair was available to anyone needing the extra assistance to enjoy a swim.

"Contact us at Tathra Surf Life Saving Club. It's not necessary to have a disability or anything like that," Tony said.

"It could be old age or you could have just recovered from a broken leg and don't want to step in holes.

"It's a good thing to get people back out into the surf."

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