THE Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter rescued a man at RAAFs Beach in Ocean Grove last week after he became caught in a rip.<\/p>\n
Life Saving Victoria\u2019s (LSV) operations manager Greg Scott said the incident occurred just after noon on Friday when rescue helicopter Lifesaver36 flew overhead and noticed a man in distress near the flagged area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe crew liaised with lifeguards, who provided support and the crew rescued the man and transported him back to shore.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was very tired but had no injuries and is now safe and well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scheduled aerial patrols of the coastline have operated since mid-November and will continue until Easter Monday, with increased daily patrols throughout the busiest summer period from December 24 until January 26.<\/p>\n
According to the LSV, the number one beach hazard for swimmers are rips, with more people drowning in rips than from shark attacks, cyclones and floods combined.<\/p>\n
LSV has encouraged all beachgoers to learn how to identify and avoid a rip current, as three-quarters of people are unable to identify a rip current; and two-thirds of the people who think that they can spot a rip actually cannot.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re caught in a rip current, LSV advises you to stay calm, conserve your energy and consider these options:<\/p>\n
Raise an arm and call out to seek help or float with the current, it may return you to a shallow sandbank.<\/p>\n
Swim parallel to the beach you may escape the rip current. <\/p>\n
Reassess the situation \u2013 if what you\u2019re doing isn\u2019t working, try another option until you return to shore<\/p>\n
Whenever possible, swim between the red and yellow flags<\/p>\n
For more information, head to beachsafe.org.au or download the Beachsafe app.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter rescued a man at RAAFs Beach in Ocean Grove last week after he became caught in a rip. Life Saving Victoria\u2019s (LSV) operations manager Greg Scott said the incident occurred just after noon on Friday when rescue helicopter Lifesaver36 flew overhead and noticed a man in distress near the flagged […]<\/p>\n