- Was hailed as a hero by locals
The quick thinking and actions of an NRL star have potentially saved a life in dramatic scenes at an African beach this week.
Lachlan Ilias was relaxing by the pool on holiday in Zanzibar when he noticed a swimmer struggling around 300 metres offshore.
The NRL halfback quickly leapt into action, swapping his footy boots for a canoe to rescue the drowning tourist, helping to bring them back to safety.
‘I saw this guy out there – I thought he was going for a swim next to his canoe,’ Ilias told News Corp.
‘Then all the people in the rooms and around the pool started saying that he needs help, he needs help.
‘He kept getting onto his canoe and then falling off, maybe eight or nine times.
NRL star Lachlan Illias and girlfriend Regan Stephens are currently holidaying in Africa during the footy off-season
Illias was called into action when a tourist became stricken in the waters off Zanzibar
He dived into the water and helped the tourist back to shore, earning a hero’s reception from locals
‘Someone ran down with a staff member and I said to my partner ‘I will go down and help too because I know how to swim’.
‘There was a spare canoe and I said ‘I’ll go out, I’m in my boardies and ready to go’.
‘I felt like David Hasselhoff with this canoe walking down these stairs.’
Ilias said the man’s canoe had filled with water about 300 metres offshore, leaving him exhausted and struggling.
He helped the man into another canoe, guided them back to shore, and was greeted with cheers and a thank-you gift by the pool.
‘As I got back to the hotel, everyone was clapping me and shaking my hand, thanking me in their broken English,’ he added.
‘He ended up buying me a margarita.
‘I got back to my seat beside the pool and it was waiting for me.’
It comes as Illias prepares to make a move from the Dragons and make a fresh start at the Gold Coast Titans
It comes as Illias is expected to make a fresh start in the NRL in 2026 with the Gold Coast Titans.
He is expected to sign a two-year deal with the club when he returns from holiday.
The Titans have earmarked the talented playmaker as the perfect addition to strengthen their halves depth after Kieran Foran’s retirement.
An agreement has been reached in principle, with final paperwork still pending.
Ilias remains under contract with the Dragons for next season, but with Daniel Atkinson, Kyle Flanagan and Lykhan King-Togia competing for starting roles in 2026, St George Illawarra are expected to grant his release to the Gold Coast.
His potential move north would not affect the Titans’ plans to retain Jayden Campbell.
After a quiet first year with the Dragons, playing only seven NRL games before guiding their NSW Cup side to the grand final, Ilias is eager for a fresh start.
With 60 NRL appearances and experience leading South Sydney to the 2022 preliminary final, the 25-year-old is seen as a valuable piece in Josh Hannay’s 2026 rebuild.
