‘TOO DANGEROUS’
Mount beach closed, lifeguards on alert after Tongan eruption
“Do not go into the water at all.” That’s the message from Tauranga lifeguards who say swimming at the beach for the next couple of days will still be too dangerous.
A massive undersea volcanic eruption in Tonga and Cyclone Cody were causing strong and unpredictable surges along the Bay of Plenty coastline, with local lifeguards on “high alert”.
Despite the warnings, people have been ignoring the safety messages, with some needing help from lifeguards to get out of “powerful” thigh-deep water.
Civil Defence New Zealand issued a national advisory of tsunami activity yesterday after the eruption sent ash, steam and gas up to 20km into the air and has caused untold damage in the Pacific nation.
The eruption could be heard by people throughout the Bay of Plenty and beyond.
Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club president Andrew Hitchfield said the message was clear: “Don’t swim”.
“Stay out of the water for the next day or two until things calm down,” he said.
“Do not go into the water at all. It is just too dangerous.”
Hitchfield said lifeguards were on “high alert” at least for the next 24 hours.
He said it had been a busy two weeks and advised people to know their limits in the water.
“It has been a pretty horrific season for drownings to date. We hope we can stop more tragedies from happening.”
Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service chairman Jamie Troughton said: “We seem to have missed the main event and dodged a bullet. But there are still some big waves.”
At the Mount’s main beach yesterday , waves reached 4m and closed signs were put up.
Troughton said the swell was expected to drop “pretty quickly” but “there is still going to be a lot of water moving”.
“The message is to have extra respect for the water.”
Surf Life Saving NZ search and rescue manager Allan Mundy was also warning people not to walk their dogs along the beach during high tide in the evenings.
“All our lifeguards are off duty at that time,” he said.
“We have water rushing right up to the sand dunes. Walk along the top of the beach, don’t venture down.”
Mundy said he assisted some people from the water yesterday. “Even at thigh-deep, they [waves] have got some power”.
He said he was disappointed with the “handful” of people still swimming despite the many warnings.
Surf lifesaving competitions had been cancelled all around the Bay of Plenty due to the water conditions, he said.