A local swimmer who got caught in a rip and rough seas at Tallows Beach has survived the ordeal by using his smartwatch to call triple zero.
Rick Shearman, an experienced swimmer and surfer, was bodysurfing at Tallows on Saturday morning when he found himself caught in the break zone as heavy sets rolled in.
‘I copped a couple of big ones on the head and was held under for a while, I started to panic a bit, and cramp up under water,’ Mr Shearman told the ABC.
Realising that escaping the dumpers was essential, Mr Shearman allowed himself to be taken out the back by a powerful current.
However, once out of the wave zone, the 49-year-old continued to be swept out to sea. ‘It was breaking across the whole stretch of beach from Broken Head to Suffolk Park,’ Mr Shearman told the ABC.
‘It became clear after about 20 minutes that I wasn’t going to make it back in and I needed some assistance.’
It was at this point that Mr Shearman used his smartwatch to dial triple-zero.
Multiple emergency services were dispatched to the scene, including the Westpac Rescue helicopter.
With the help of Mr Shearman and friends and family on the beach, the helicopter crew was able to locate and winch him to safety about an hour later.
He was treated on the beach and later at Byron Hospital but did not suffer serious physical injuries.
Mr Shearman praised the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Surf Life Saving, police, the ambulance crew and staff at Byron Bay Hospital.
‘No doubt I caused a lot of people on the beach distress, which I am apologetic for,’ he said.
Tweed drowning
However, the positive news of Mr Shearman’s rescue was dampened – earlier on the same day a man died at the Tweed River after his boat capsized.
Emergency services were called to the North Wall of the Tweed River about 6am after two people were seen clinging to the upturned hull of a 6.5m half-cabin runabout.
Marine Rescue members pulled one man to safety from the water, however, the second man was pulled unconscious from the water and was unable to be revived.
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