Surfer HERO on South Coast

[chrisb]

How about some good news.... from today's SMH:-

Mystery surfer averts Target Beach tragedy GEORGINA ROBINSON
January 19, 2010 - 11:34AM
A mystery surfer has been hailed as a hero after he paddled out two surfboards to save a six-year-old boy and his family from a rip on a remote NSW beach.

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The 35-year-old Callala Bay man was surfing at secluded and exposed Target Beach, at the northern opening of Jervis Bay on the South Coast, when he noticed four people in trouble in the water.

Police said a rip had carried the six-year-old boy out to sea.

It is understood the boy's 21-year-old sister, 41-year-old father and 69-year-old grandfather dived in to help but they got into trouble as well and couldn't get back to the shore.

The surfer paddled out two boards to the family and gave one to the boy's father, who paddled in with his son and daughter, police said.

The surfer then rescued the boy's grandfather and paddled back in.

Target Beach is a 280-metre beach with two permanent rips at either headland, according to beach safety website beachsafe.org.au.

I hope those rescued learnt something from all of this.

[mical]

Woolly, what about the parents teaching their kids about the ocean? If they don't know about it, might be a good reason to find out. Two birds, one stone, all that.

Understand where you're coming from though, all Australians should have at least a basic understanding of how the ocean works. We live on a fcuking island!

Re: mystery surfer, great job. I hope you come forward and receive the thanks you deserve, especially from those you saved.

[Beanpole]

Nah. 99% of beach kids know from nippers etc and the westies just go "oh that doesn't concern me. I only go to the beach once a year."...........and drown.

Heard em talking about it on the radio and being amazed and perplexed about how he paddled two surfboards out there. With one guy imagining he somehow rode a wave out there with one under his arm. This shows the depth of understanding out there. Good on the guy.

[diggerdickson]

I remember back in about 83 when I was in year 11 this sort of stuff being taught in schools in geography, I mean I got 20 out of 100 for the HSC in geography, but that 20 marks came from reading the weather map and talking about long shore drifting effects on a beach front with sand erosion and the forming of rips ect, hey 20 outa 20 for that. So it is sorta taught, ie beach conditions and rips and where its safe to swim ect.

But I already knew that stuff from going to beach, watching, learning and listening to older crew when I was learning to surf back when I was 13. In other words localism working at its best teaching the groms wether thats through nippers or whatever other methods.

[caspian]

(.... or am I just an old fart that hasn't attended school for over 100 years, and this sort of stuff is already happening?)

can't talk about the current system but when I was a young 'un (around '92ish, I guess) I was constantly getting blasted with watch out for rips, swim sidewards to the beach if you're caught in one, swim with a buddy, raise your arm etc etc. Of course I only lived in coastal towns; who knows if it gets taught further inland.

Generally if they're 6 years old they can't swim really good; they probably should've kept a closer look on the kid. Whatever. They've learned their lesson and I'm glad it all turned out allright.

[lessormore]

Unfortunately, no surferhero on hand for this one.Can't imagine how the kids feel now.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 796352.htm

[mical]

Hear it on the news on the way into work, bloody terrible.

This acts as a tragic reminder of the risks of swimming at unpatrolled beaches or after patrol hours,"

Or is it a reminder that you shouldn't be swimming in the fcuking ocean if you aren't a strong swimmer or don't understand how to get out trouble.

Basic stuff like not knowing how to deal with rips seems to be the cause of so many drownings. Such a simple thing to learn how to get out of too, really sad that this keeps happening every year.

I feel for their kids.

[chrisb]

It appears that the children knew their limitations and didn't make it a mass fatality by sensibly calling for help rather than running into the water. Still, that's no consolation for them.

I don't have the statistics but anecdotally it seems that on many occasions the would-be rescuer also gets into trouble and prompts a mass-rescue. Sometimes the original victim escapes and the rescuer dies. But a dreadful dilemma for the husband in this instance - watch your wife die or stay there for your children.

We all know the solution - surf education for all. For new Australians make it a part of the citizenship qualification criteria. It's infinitely more useful than knowing Don Bradman's batting average.

The below website could have alerted them to the dangers of South Ballina (it also gives surf clues):-
http://beachsafe.org.au/beach/nsw029A#q ... =nsw&page=

[Beanpole]

Surf education is like smoking education, conservation education and safe driving education. There is no shortage of this stuff at my kids school but does that mean that no one smokes there, litters,drives dangerously or drowns?

A lot of people take rules to be an affront to their self image.

These same jokers on the radio were saying "Oh, of course anyone would jump in to try to save these kids."
Jumping in without a rescue device is potential suicide. Particularly if you are an overweight radio personality on holidays.

[Nick Carroll]

A lot of people take rules to be an affront to their self image.

don't they just.

anyway ... surf education is slowly taking a bit of a hold at school level here and there, but yeah mostly at coastal schools where a lot of the kids already know what's up through nippers etc

You got to wonder if this is increasingly gonna be the job of the SLSA as they are steadily being supplanted and replaced by pro lifeguards at many urban beaches.

I hate to think of what we'll be hearing by the end of business today. How many rock fishos will have bitten the dust under this major southerly groundswell.

[lessormore]

A few months ago I surfed Whale Beach.It was about 3-4 foot and onshore with lots of water moving sideways along the beach and only about 5 people surfing .
After walking back to my car I noticed a women(probably late 20s) arrive with 3,pre- school age kids and walk to about middle of the beach between the shoreline and the carpark(at least 75 meters).
She then sent the kids into the water,two of them went at least waist deep while the youngest stood in ankle- deep wash.
There was no-one else swimming on that whole section of beach.
She then must have realized she had forgotten to put money in the carpark meter, so she walked back up to her car,leaving the kids swimming by themselves.
I thought to myself, do I go and scream at this stupid bitch, go and tell the beachie to go and speak to her or ring Docs or the police as you would do when you see a child left in a hot car in summer.
In the end I did nothing.Just drove away hoping I wouldn't hear about Whale Beach on the news that night.
You can educate people, put signs up everywhere,put lifeguards on beaches, but there will always be people who just don't think water presents any danger to them.

[Beanpole]

Bronte was big. One guy waited half an hour to jump off the pool after five guys didn't make it out in a row. Some guys came from around the corner. For a while there was one lone body surfer out.

But who was the guy who thought the cliff between bronte and tama was a really choice spot to jump off until he was talked down by the lifeguard

Got some good pictures Now where will be a bit smaller.

[The Oracle]

If you're not educated on surf matters or not a strong swimmer, it's pretty simple - swim between the flags. This means only at patrolled beaches and only at patrolled times. Leaves the majority of the coastline free for those of us that do have a clue.

My gf moved here from England 5 years ago, and until I recently started dating her had never been past waist-depth at a surf beach, coz she was smart enough to realise she wasn't strong enough/familiar enough with surf conditions to venture further. As with most touro's, she thought the safest place to swim was where it was nice and calm - how many times have we all heard that from a newbie??? Anyways a few months down the track and she can read a rip, is much more aware of her surroundings in the water, never turns her back on the ocean, and consequently is much safer and having a lot more fun. The point being is a little education can go a long, long way. In terms of who provides it, I still think the onus should be on the individual rather than the government. If you're ignorant and get yourself in trouble, bad luck.

[Surfin Turf]

Hear it on the news on the way into work, bloody terrible....
I feel for their kids.

heard it early whilst checking a few spots and it made me feel sick ... that a husband and wife drowned together , and for their poor kids standing there watching it happen, and having to live with that horror ...

A lot of people take rules to be an affront to their self image.

had a fair discussion about that with my brother this morning in between sets ... despite being a big tough surfie (oh who can't manage to get to my feet ... ) I have always promoted to my kids who are fairly surf wise and good swimmers anyway that when they are not surfing they are in the flags, and it's not kooky or uncool ...

[nu boy]

Im pretty sure surfing N.S.W.did a surf saftey film in the early 80s when Kim Bradley was running the show.And Im also pretty sure it was aimed at kids in class room conditions,you know watch the film and then have group discussion type thing.I think the idea was that a surfing N.S.W.rep would do the school circut.But I dont know what happened with it.

[dy_fo_life]

Pulled up at Bateau Bay lunch time today just in case there was something even though wind and tide... blah blah
I see a set come through and it had potential but couldn't gauge size and chop etc I see someone out there, cool me thinks I will give it a go too. Straighten up the car just as the police pull up. Walk back over to have another look then see groups of people huddled along the beach visually searching the ocean.
The previous set is draining back out and I can now see a rip about 30-50 metres wide running 500 metres straight out ....oh now I get it.
Clubbies come from Shelley beach and search the bay, I haven't been able to catch another glimpse of the target so am not surprised it takes them a little long to get there.
Jetski coming in ...young guy with body board and perhaps dad who went to save him, no Hasselhoff more a Norm.
Ambos another squad car two jetskis. Big thankyous all round and sheepish kid.

[purple pyramids]

i always wear flippers in the water when i don't have a board and give everybody within earshot a crazy old man rant about how 'they're living in a fools paradise going swimming without flippers'.