The rescue that defined Point Lonsdale's season

A ROUTINE training session in Point Lonsdale earlier this year quickly escalated into one of the Surf Life Saving Club’s largest-ever rescues.

The April incident triggered a major multi-agency response after a group of swimmers was unexpectedly swept into dangerous waters.

Eight months on, incident commander and club captain Jess Robinson said she remained extremely proud of how the team responded under pressure.

“Within a couple of minutes, we had one boat launching at the back beach and driving over towards the pier and the lighthouse, still unaware of how many swimmers were in danger,” she said.

“When we were on scene, we still weren’t quite aware of how big of an incident it was, but just that we needed to start looking in the water.

Within minutes of receiving the call for help, crews were in the water searching for the distressed swimmers. Photo: SUPPLIED

“We launched a second boat to help with the search and rescue of the final swimmer who we hadn’t seen in a while and we were unable to locate from, or see from, the beach and they were found 2km offshore.”

Multiple helicopters, along with ambulance, police and pilot boats, also responded, scouring the water and surrounding rocks to ensure all swimmers were accounted for.

Robinson said incidents of this scale required constant adaptation, often with limited information.

“The safety of our patrollers and our members is the number one priority,” she said.

“Do we have the skills, the experience and the knowledge of the area to be able to safely execute the rescue? That’s the number one priority, always.

“Then we’re looking at what do we need, how could this unfold, how can we prepare the best we can to help with the rescue?

The club was recently recognised with a National Meritorious Award for its members’ efforts in the rescue. Photo: SUPPLIED

“They’re the main things, but then being able to process the information and make decisions quickly, but also making sure that they’re the best decisions for the entire operation.”

While the club has responded to several call-outs in the same area since April, the rescue remains the largest Ms Robinson has overseen.

With summer approaching, the Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club is now focused on training new bronze medallion candidates, with fresh patrollers preparing for the season ahead.

“We’re getting ready and we’re prepared for the season and hoping we don’t have too many scenarios like this, but we’re ready for it if it does happen,” Robinson said.

The club was recently recognised with a National Meritorious Award for its members’ efforts in the rescue.