Byron Bay drowning prompts lifeguards’ safety warning
Lifeguards have urged beach-goers to swim only at patrolled beaches following the death of a man at Byron Bay this afternoon.
Shortly after noon, a member of the public alerted police via Triple 0 that a lone man was in distress in the surf near Belongil Creek.
Lifeguards on rescue jet skis responded to the scene but were unable to find any trace of the swimmer. The initial witness identified himself to lifeguards and provided them with a description of the missing man and the location of where he was last seen.
An extensive search was started involving lifeguards, volunteer lifesavers from the Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club and the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter.
A short time later, the helicopter alerted lifeguards to a person floating in the surf approximately 300 metres to the west of where the missing man was last seen.
A lifeguard jet ski located the man, unconscious and floating face down. He was dragged on board the sled of the ski and taken to shore, where the lifeguard commenced resuscitation. The 35-year-old man, visiting from Sydney, was unable to be revived.
The death has prompted warnings from lifeguards for people to be aware of the dangers of the surf.
“The conditions were very deceptive this afternoon,” said Stephen Leahy, Northern NSW Lifeguard Co-ordinator.
“The wave size was quite small, but there were many strong currents in the area that will quickly take a swimmer out of their depth.
“We are always saddened by any drowning but, like many accidents in the surf, this one could have been avoided.
“There is a lifeguard service only a kilometre down the beach. The conditions are a lot safer at those flags, there are well-trained lifeguards who constantly monitor swimmers and rescue and emergency equipment is right there.
“If people choose to swim in remote locations, they need to consider that there may be no one around to raise the alarm and it may take some time for emergency services to reach the location. Those sorts of delays will ultimately result in further drownings.”
Later in the afternoon, at 3pm, two people were caught in a strong rip at Shelly Beach, Ballina, a lifeguard-patrolled beach. The two swimmers were quickly identified by the lifeguard and rescued swiftly without injury or harm. A further 130 people were warned about swimming outside the flags.
