Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) and the state’s army of volunteer lifesavers have been under the pump over the weekend, responding to a deluge of incidents and emergencies, and sadly a number of drownings.
The SLSNSW State Operations Centre responded to a total of 31 incidents this weekend, including shark sightings, vessel incidents, false alarms, concerns for welfare, and rescues.
There were at least 46 reported rescues and 7,151 preventative actions, and beach attendance recorded at 222,411.
There was one person declared deceased at Green Patch Beach, Jervis Bay late on Saturday.
Toll mounts
The weekend has capped off a terrible few days where at least 7 people have lost their lives since 31 December. The drowning toll has risen rapidly to 10 since the start of summer, and 30 since the start of July. The summer period so far sadly represents the second worst drowning toll in the last 10 years.
Since Christmas Day, more than 1.1 million people have visited the coastline in NSW, with 195 rescues being enacted by volunteer lifesavers and over 83,000 actions taken to prevent a drowning or the need for a rescue.
‘The summer holiday period is historically an extremely busy period for our volunteer force of over 83,000 across the state, and sadly this year it has also been a historically tragic period when it comes to drownings,’ SLSNSW CEO Steve Pearce said.
‘However, without the efforts of our lifesavers over the past few days I am certain that there would be more tragedies on our beaches and I am extremely proud of their efforts during this time.’
Major incidents yesterday included a 45-year-old male being pulled from the water in Kiama unconscious and not breathing, where he was attended to by Kiama Council lifeguards and a surf lifesaver.
After several rounds of CPR, the man began to breathe again however he left the scene by ambulance in an unconscious state.
At Torakina Beach, on the mouth of the Brunswick River, a female in her 40s was washed out to sea after being caught in a rip, with Brunswick surf club members tasked to assist. The volunteer lifesavers picked up the swimmer by Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB). Torakina Beach is an unpatrolled location.
This came after a man in his 60s entered the water in Sawtell, south of Coffs Harbour on Saturday 2 January and was in need of assistance. Patrolling lifesavers responded and found the man, who was handed over to paramedics and transported to hospital.
A man in his 20s was pulled from the water at Avoca Beach on the Central Coast on Saturday after being submerged in the water.
Ahead of what is anticipated to be a hot week across the state, volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards are on red alert.
‘Every drowning that we have seen this summer has occurred at an unpatrolled location, outside of patrol hours or away from lifesaving services. We implore beachgoers who may be considering a trip to the coastline this week to check Beachsafe.org for their nearest patrolled beach,’ Mr Pearce said.
Beach safety tips
- Always swim between the red and yellow patrol flags.
- Read the safety signs for information about the beach and ask a lifesaver or lifeguard for safety information.
- Swim with someone else so you can look out for each other and always supervise children around the water.
- Never swim under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- If you need help in the water, stay calm and attract attention by raising one arm
In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000) – Police. - For information about patrol times, weather, and beach locations visit the Beachsafe Website or Download the App.
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