Three Victorians and a South Australian woman have drowned in a deadly weekend on Australian waterways.
A 17-year-old boy died near Mordialloc in Melbourne’s south on Monday afternoon, while another man aged in his 30s drowned at a lake in Ebden in Victoria’s northeast earlier in the day.
In South Australia a 73-year-old woman could not be revived after she was pulled from the water at Seacliff, south of Adelaide on Monday evening.
The three Boxing Day deaths come after a 19-year-old Melbourne man drowned on Christmas Day at Lorne in Victoria’s southwest.
The deaths were a tragic reminder for people to stay vigilant around the water, Life Saving Victoria director Kane Treloar said.
“We understand that people want to come to the beach. It’s been a long time since we’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the waterways with our family,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re asking people to think about their safety because we want to make sure everyone’s coming home at the end of the day.”
There have been at least three other serious incidents across Victoria over the Christmas break including one involving a toddler at Ocean Grove, according to Mr Treloar.
On Boxing Day night, two girls were rescued by police officers and a good Samaritan at St Kilda Beach in Melbourne’s southeast.
The sisters, aged 10 and 11, were struggling in waters off the pier when Acting Sergeant Samantha Christian, Leading Senior Constable Emma Sharp and a passerby named Tyler came to their rescue.
“The current was so strong that I think it picked them up before they actually realised what was going on,” Lead Sen Const Sharp told reporters.
Tyler quickly managed to save one girl but the other was trapped in an undertow, forcing the offers to perform a difficult and dangerous rescue.
“It was very hectic in the water,” Act Sgt Christian added.
“Just to know that the girls were out of that situation and back with their mum was really, really good.”
They were assessed by paramedics but did not need to go to hospital.
Elsewhere, a young girl is being treated in a Sydney children’s hospital after being pulled from a pool in Wentworth Park on Monday evening.
And in South Australia, six stand-up paddle boarders were rescued after being swept out to sea at Moonta Bay on the Copper Coast on Monday night.
A passing boat saw them swimming with their boards about two kilometres offshore and picked them up.
One had ingested a large quantity of water and was taken to the Wallaroo Hospital for further treatment.
People should mindful of the potential dangers of using flotation devices, including stand-up paddle boards and inflatables in the ocean, SA Police said.
“They are highly susceptible to winds and may be carried out to sea,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.
© AAP 2022
