A hero drowned to save a little girl. Today his family embraced her.

“I can see why he wouldn’t leave you, you’re absolutely beautiful.”

Those were the heartbreaking words Josh Martin said to Rihanna Milabo, 7, when they met for the first time.

Josh was talking about his brother Ryan, 30, who drowned saving the little girl and her family after they became caught in a rip at a Queensland beach on Good Friday.

Rihanna was nervous about meeting her rescuer’s family at his memorial service, but Josh put her at ease, embracing her while she sobbed into his neck.

Watch the moment here via News.com.au:

It was around 4.30pm on Friday when the Milabo family was swept out to sea at the treacherous Fingal Heads.

A group of swimmers managed to pull Rihanna’s parents Shyra and Rickel to safety, but couldn’t grab hold of the young girl.

Finally Ryan managed to catch hold of her but together they were dragged further from the sand along with two other beach goers, Luke Robinson and a man named Shane.

Robinson held Rihanna when Ryan became tired, but by the time lifeguards brought all of them to shore, he had drowned.

“We didn’t think anyone would save us,” Shyra told the Gold Coast Bulletin at the service, which took place at the Heads yesterday and was attended by both families.

“I didn’t know how they would react, but they are a beautiful family — they just wanted to meet Rihanna.

“We were just playing in the water near the rocks and then we were swept out to sea. Rihanna would not be alive today without everyone who helped us.”

The Milabos want Ryan, a Burleigh Heads accountant, to be honoured with an award for his bravery.

“So his family can remember what he has done for us,” Rickel explained.

“We will be forever in his debt, he saved her,” he said. “He is a hero, our guardian angel.”

Another of the swimmers who helped rescue the family, Raymond Williams, attended the memorial and offered words of comfort to Ryan’s girlfriend Zoe Bell.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry I couldn’t save him,” he said.

She responded: “You couldn’t have done anything more.”