Young life saver rescues Canberra Raider from Sunshine Coast beach

There's been a bit of drama in the surf on the Sunshine Coast involving the Canberra Raiders.

A mock surf competition between the players and some local Nippers turned into a rescue on Mooloolaba Beach when one of the players got into trouble.

Forward Iosia Soliola said he panicked in the surf when everyone had moved away from him in the water, and he didn't know how far he had to come back to shore.

One of the young lifesavers headed out on the rescue and brought the burly forward back on his surfboard.

Back on shore, an obviously shaken Soliola said: "When everyone was was gone and I didn't know how far I had, I just panicked as the buoy was too far back for me to go."

But some good natured ribbing from his teammates got him smiling again.

"I was just waiting for all the kids to come and save me.

"That's what happens when you don't do Nippers...I'm taking my son to Nippers now," he said.

There was also a report that one of young surfers encountered some trouble and was rescued in turn by some of the Raiders.

Everyone was checked over on the beach and given the all clear.