Three holidaymakers from Melbourne are lucky to be alive after being pulled from the surf at Granny’s Grave in Warrnambool on Saturday.
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Surf lifesavers were alerted by someone on the beach about 4.30pm that three people about 30 metres off shore were in trouble.
The Inflatable Rescue Boat was launched immediately and reached two people – a man in his 30s and a teenage boy – within five minutes. The third, a teenage boy, had made his own way back to shore.
They were met on the beach by more surf lifesavers who used the All Terrain Vehicle to reach them.
Club president Justin Houlihan said both teenagers were fine but the man was in “some distress” after taking in water. He said the man needed to be placed in the recovery position with the aid of oxygen therapy.
“The man was extremely lucky to be alive,” Mr Houlihan said.
When paramedics arrived, the man was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Mr Houlihan said that it was a case of poor decision making by the swimmers.
“Granny’s is a dangerous spot for swimming and there is signage indicating this on the track before you reach the actual beach,” he said.
“It is at a pretty remote part of the bay where only experienced surfers usually go.”
Mr Houlihan said that if it wasn’t for the good Samaritan who notified the tower, and the quick response of lifesavers, it could have ended in a tragedy that was completely avoidable. “The message is clear – when visiting coastal areas, stop, look and plan before entering the water to make sure you, your family and others are safe,” he said.
“Take a few moments to just check where you are, check if there are rips, look for other hazards such as large waves or rocks, and simply make wise decisions.
“By simply stopping before running into the water by taking two to three minutes to plan, could save your life.
“Our core message is always to find a patrolled beach because the red and yellow flags mark the safest place to swim.”
The warning from surf lifesavers follows a recent spike in drowning deaths across the nation this summer.
Club captain John McNeil said people continually seem to think that it’s never going to happen to them.
“This guy’s very lucky to be alive today,” he said. “If the good Samaritan on the beach hadn’t called, he’d be a statistic today.”
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