Jet ski rescues double over summer

LIFE Saving Victoria’s (LSV) Rescue Water Craft (RWC) lifeguard service rescued 12 people over the peak summer holiday period, exceeding last year’s total by double.

According to the latest LSV data, some of the rescues occurred along the Surf Coast and the Bellarine, with lifeguards on jet skis pulling swimmers to safety in Torquay, Jan Juc and Ocean Grove.

Kane Treloar, LSV’s acting operations manager, said expanding the RWC services to the Mornington Peninsula, Bellarine Peninsula and the eastern end of the Surf Coast had allowed efficient coverage at unpatrolled locations.

“Our RWC lifeguard service doubled, and so did our rescues – that’s a fantastic outcome for the Victorian community and potentially 12 families who may not have been able to spend their next Christmas holiday with these loved ones.”

Preventative actions, including lifeguards alerting swimmers to rips before paddling further, were 2,185 compared to 1,174 the previous season.

RWC lifeguard Maddie Green attended a rescue near Torquay in January when she spotted a man in his mid-20s struggling in the wind.

“Just before 13th Beach, we spotted the man on his boogie board really far out past the breaking waves and realised he was stuck in a rip. He looked exhausted and wasn’t going anywhere as he attempted to return to shore,” she said.

Ms Green explained to the tourist how to spot a rip and what to do if he was caught in one again after returning him safely to shore.

Even seasoned surfers needed help, with RWC lifeguard Thomas Kennedy rescuing two surfers 300 metres offshore near Jan Juc on December 28.

“There was a huge rip at Jan Juc and I hadn’t seen one that size before,” he said.

“Two surfers, who seemed like they had plenty of experience, got into trouble out the back of the rip and couldn’t get back in. One was in his 20s and the other in his 40s. The other RWC lifeguard and I helped them to shore.”

You can find a patrolled beach by heading to beachsafe.org.au.