The hero drone operator who rescued a six-year-old boy from the surf at Ballina has a blunt message for parents these school holidays: put down your phones and watch your kids.

Prakash Jarapla was operating a shark surveillance drone at Lighthouse Beach on Wednesday morning when he spotted the young boy in trouble about 15 metres offshore.

But what alarmed him almost as much as the struggling child was what he says he saw on the beach.

“I see the parents were like, have no idea what was going on,” Prakash told ABC News.

“They were literally taking the pictures. They were busy on their phones, and that’s the time I just started sprinting straight into the water.”

Prakash said he regularly saw adults underestimate how quickly children could get into trouble around the ocean.

His message as the NSW school holidays begin is simple.

“Keep your phones aside. Just be with your kids and look after them, and just enjoy the holidays,” he told 7 News.

Prakash operates a shark surveillance drone at Lighthouse Beach four days a week and Wednesday had already been an eventful morning.

At about 6.30am he spotted a bull shark, reported it to surf authorities and surfers were evacuated from the water.

A few hours later, his drone picked up the six-year-old being swept out to sea.

Prakash landed the drone and, despite not being a lifeguard, sprinted into the water fully clothed.

He found the frightened boy crying and in shock, reassured him and initially held onto a rock with him before getting him safely back to shore.

The boy did not require further medical treatment.

The rescue comes as families head for North Coast beaches for the school holidays, with lifesavers urging parents to closely supervise children around the water and always swim between the red and yellow flags.

Photo: 7 News