Lifesavers kept busy as heatwave continues

WITH hot weather set to hang around another day, beach goers have been warned to take care in the water.

The warning comes after two local rescues over the weekend and the drowning deaths of three men in incidents across the state.

Two teenage boys, from Melbourne, were rescued from the Passage at south beach in Port Fairy on Saturday after getting caught in three to four-metre  waves at 2pm. Port Fairy Surf Life Saving Club volunteer Jim Chambers said the surfers should not have been in the water given the conditions. “There was a group of four surfing,” he said.

Mr Chambers said the two adult men were OK, but two boys aged between 15 and 16 got into trouble.

“It was really huge,” he said. “When I got there some surfers had already gone to help one guy. He was bit shocked and went to hospital,” he said. 

“He swallowed a fair bit of water. That makes you feel sick. 

“He’s panicked and thought he was going to die. He was shivering.”

 Mr Chambers said the second boy was around the back of the Passage and was taken back to the shore by Mr Chambers.

“He was further back out and I asked if he was all right and he said ‘yeah I’m alright but I’m not,” he said.

“He wasn’t as bad as the other boy,” he said.

“It was scary out the back. It’s quite a dangerous spot.

“It’s all rock out there, there is no lovely sand. Once you get down there it’s all kelp and rocks.” Two women were also rescued from a rip at the Flume on Saturday. Warrnambool life saving club captain Marli Blackney-Noter said people needed to be aware of the conditions before they entered the surf.

“If you’re not sure about where you’re swimming, don’t go in,” she said. “Given the warm weather, keep hydrated and make sure you don’t swim alone.”

Ms Blackney-Noter said weekly patrols finished at the end of the summer holidays and weekend patrols, Saturday noon to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm, would continue until Easter.

cquirk@fairfaxmedia.com.au