BEACH TRAGEDY
Scuba diver death sparks safety fears Second incident at Torquay in a week
SURF lifesavers are pleading with swimmers to take care at local beaches after a scuba diver drowned at Torquay yesterday. The tragedy comes just a week after four swimmers narrowly escaped death at a nearby beach.
SURF lifesavers have pleaded for safety at our beaches after a scuba diver drowned in Torquay yesterday, just days after four swimmers narrowly escaped death at the Surf Coast hotspot.
A man understood to be in his 60s was pulled from the water near Point Danger about 10am yesterday, where he had been diving with friends.
A boat then transported him to nearby Fishermans Beach.
An off-duty police officer performed CPR on the man for half an hour before paramedics took over. The air ambulance was also called to the scene, landing at the Torquay Football Club oval.
The man, who was yet to be identified yesterday afternoon, died at the scene. Police will now prepare a report for the coroner. A witness said the revival efforts of paramedics and police took place on the beach in front of shocked onlookers who had flocked to the beach amid warm and clear weather.
The witness said many onlookers appeared “quite upset” by the scene.
Exactly a week earlier four people in their 20s were hospitalised after surfers pulled them from a rip at nearby Whites Beach, with one man left in a critical condition.
All four were eventually upgraded to stable conditions last week.
It also comes three months after a man drowned at Torquay Beach on August 26.
The latest drowning has prompted Life Saving Victoria to urge swimmers to refresh their water safety knowledge just weeks before the start of summer.
“If you’re heading to the beach, remember that rips are the number-one beach hazard for swimmers,” LSV Lifesaving Operations Manager Greg Scott said.
“Last summer, we saw unprecedented numbers of rip currents and it’s important to recognise that beach conditions can change significantly during the day.”
Life Saving Victoria’s drowning report for 2016/17 showed there were 26 drowning deaths in the Geelong region in the 10 years to mid2017.
Ten of those were of people not from the region.
There were also 51 people hospitalised from non-fatal drownings in that period, and 41 emergency department presentations for non-fatal drownings.
The Geelong region includes Surf Coast hot spots such as Torquay.
Life Saving Victoria yesterday announced that paid life- guards would patrol beaches on Port Phillip Bay daily from 11am-7pm over summer.
The new program, funded by a $540,000 State Government scheme, comes after Vic- toria’s worst summer drowning toll since records began 20 years ago.
Volunteer lifesavers will patrol 57 beaches across the state over the summer.