On Sunday, just before they clocked off, Palm Beach lifesavers rescued three people who were struggling in the surf.
“We are pretty proud of our lifesavers,” James Riley, Captain of Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, told Manly Observer.
“They undergo a lot of training, and it just shows you it pays off to make sue things like this don’t go the other way. We’re very proud of their diligence and their alertness at all times.”
Sunday, 3 November, was our warmest day since March. Despite the overcast skies and the wind picking up in the afternoon, people flocked to the beach.
“Even though there was a North-Easterly and lots of blue bottles on the beach, compared to the day before which saw the beach virtually empty, there was a lot of people on the beach and in the water on Sunday,” James recalled.
“The lifesavers were doing a great job trying to keep swimmers within the flags and monitor the safety conditions.”
Surf lifesavers clock off at 5pm and as the Palm Beach crew were bringing down the tent, at 4:50pm they noticed three swimmers struggling.
“Even though they were packing up for the day, they were monitoring the water and by jumping quickly into action as soon as they noticed three swimmers struggling, they were able to prevent a tragedy from occurring,” he said.
Lifesavers first paddled out on a board to support swimmers so they could catch their breath. Shortly after, an inflatable rescue boat (IRB) was sent out to pick them up and bring them safely back to shore.
“They were swimming between the flags, but there was a sand bank that dropped off and they were swimming near the back of it, so when a wave came, they found themselves on the wrong side and started to struggle,” James explained.
Due to the quick action of the lifesavers, no one needed resuscitation. However, James said an ambulance was called for one swimmer, but they refused assistance and said they were fine.
“I’m surprised that one of the women turned down help,” said Tim (shoreshotphotos) who photographed the rescue.
“She wasn’t in a good way and they were definitely goners if the lifesavers weren’t there. It was really sucky conditions. I got out of the water after nearly being pulled out by that rip.”
As summer heats up, it’s a timely reminder for swimmers to be vigilant when they are in the water. According to the SLSA National Coastal Safety Report (2024), the coastal drowning rate is 2.3 times higher in summer, with one in three coastal drownings attributed to swimmers being caught in rips and two out of five drownings occurring on the weekend.
In NSW, there were a total of 4,489 rescues for the financial year 2023 – 2024, with 128 drownings. That’s a 27 per cent increase on the year before and 33 per cent above the ten year average.
“It’s important to swim between the flags,” James recommended to swimmers.
“If you have any questions about dangers in the surf, ask a lifesaver. They’re always more than happy to provide guidance on the best place to swim and the best way to stay safe while swimming in the ocean.”
He also recommends swimmers learn about rips and how to avoid them – particularly as they are the number one coastal hazard. According to the SLSA report, one in four swimmers needs assistance to escape a rip and one in 10 never checks for rips.
“If you find yourself stuck in a rip, don’t try to swim against it, swim parallel to the beach or towards the breaking waves until you’re out of it and you should be able to come back to the beach easier,” James said.
“If you’re struggling, put one hand up and try to gain the attention of the lifesavers.”
Thanks to Tim from Shoreshot for providing us photos of the dramatic rescue.
