Demonstration shows danger of rips

A UNIQUE beach safety demonstration was held on Sunday at Fairhaven.Six-time Pier to Pub winner Naantali Marshall and Torquay ironman Archie Vernon were towed into a rip via jet ski as part of the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Drone program.

Despite their strong ocean swimming skills, both swimmers found themselves stuck in the rip.

Life Saving Victoria’s (LSV) manager of lifesaving operations Liam Krige said this was evidence of the danger that rips posed.

“This summer, we have seen mass rescues of people in rips across the country.

“Rips are prevalent across all beaches, but rip-related drownings are largely preventable.”

Fairhaven has been a recent hotspot for swimmers in trouble, with 16 rescues this summer compared to three for the whole of last season.

The demonstration was filmed by drones used in Westpac’s program.

The drones have been used for various tasks since they were introduced in March 2019, including providing aerial support for Victoria Police and helping with coastal surveys and marine creature detection.

In 2019, Surf Life Saving Australia released a Coastal Safety Brief that stated an average of 21 people die from drowning in rips off Australia’s coast.

The Surf Coast has been marked as a drowning black spot by LSV, with 15 fatal drowning incidents between 2000 and 2017.

Ahead of the Labor Day long weekend, LSV are urging beachgoers to swim between the flags and learn how to spot and avoid rips.

Videos on how to do this can be found on beachsafe.org.au.