When eight-year-old Aylah Redshaw saw her little mate who couldn't swim in the middle of a dam, she didn't hesitate.
Wearing her full, heavy motorbike gear Aylah immediately swam in to five-year-old Mason's aid.
If she hadn't remembered the safety tip she learnt at school swimming 'think or sink', there could have been tragedy.
But Aylah did remember what she was taught, recalling the phrase 'think or sink' meaning to remain calm and roll onto your back.
After sustaining some scratches to her face trying to help the boy, she yelled 'think or sink' at him and forced him onto his back.
She then pushed him back to shore, saving the boy's life.
Aylah, who is in year three, is very nonchalant about rescuing her friend - she says she simply did what she was taught at school.
"I ran into the water and saved him," she said.
"Think or sink, it means float on your back. There's not much to it, all you have to do is just float on your back."
Aylah and Mason were out motorbiking with their families on a friend's property at Morisset on Saturday, August 22 when it happened.
Their parents were just metres away loading bikes after a big day of riding, and Aylah's dad Chris Redshaw said the children had never gone in the dam before, only skipped rocks, but this time Mason was playing with the rope swing.
"He let go out in the middle of the dam, a non-swimmer, full motorbike gear, he ended up out in the middle and she jumped in," Chris said.
"They'd just taken their boots off 10 minutes prior, otherwise they would have been heavier.
"It's so crazy what happened. She said that when she was coming up and he was holding her under that she was saying 'hop on your back, hop on your back' and she said she forced him on his back and said 'float like that'."
Mr Redshaw, of Heddon Greta, is in awe of his daughter, and is trying not to think about what could have gone wrong.
"Is there a word prouder than proud?" he said.
"She saved someone, the selflessness of it... an eight year old... I can't put words to it.
"I want to shout her name from the rooftops."
Mr Redshaw said Aylah's bike gear would weigh at least five kilograms, and being wet it would have been significantly more, plus Mason is almost the same height as her.
The adults noticed what was happening when one of them yelled 'they're in the water', and they immediately were alarmed as Mason could not swim.
They ran to the dam and by the time they arrived Aylah had already pushed Mason out of the water to safety.
Aylah's teacher and Argenton Public School relieving principal Lindi Johnson said she is amazed, proud and frankly emotional at Aylah's bravery.
"We are all just so extremely proud and just amazed that she was able to stay calm and focused, but when I say that, totally not surprised at all," she said.
"I've been Aylah's teacher for the last three years and she's a very, very applied student, she's very kind, she's caring, always willing to give everything a go.
"She's one of those kids that just is so resilient, bounces back from anything, remains calm, really cool and collected."
Being a small school, Argenton Public School is able to send its entire school to the two-week swim school program every year, which is where Aylah learnt 'think or sink'.
Ms Johnson said the school puts a focus on water safety, with yearly lifeguard talks in addition to swim school.
"Through that program she has learnt 'think or sink', which is basically staying calm, avoiding thrashing, rolling onto our back, and then floating to rest and looking for help," she said.
"Aylah has obviously gone one step more and been able to help her little friend in to shore which is absolutely amazing.
"It's been fabulous that we've been able to see that she's been able to demonstrate how important these skills are in actually saving a life."
