A dangerous rescue off Killcare Beach on Saturday, February 20, saw a father and daughter duo caught up inside a rip with surf lifesaving teams deployed.
Killcare Surf Lifesaving Club’s (SLSC) Patrol 9 was on watch, supervised by experienced patroller, Steve Biddulph.
The duo became trapped in the Killy Express – a permanent rip that runs to the north of Newcastle’s Bogey Hole.
It’s said to be a surfers’ favourite, but for the inexperienced, it can prove treacherous.
At approximately 1pm, surf lifesaver Zac Webb said he noticed a young girl suddenly taken out to sea and a man run into the water after her.
Webb paddled out to the man and girl, who were about 20 metres out from shore, and quickly placed the girl onto the board, also supporting the father.
The rip began to increase in power with Webb unable to return to shore with the duo, before two board riders approached and offered their assistance.
Onshore, SLS patrollers Ray Coman, Steve Biddulph and Lynne Robinson collected rescue equipment before taking an inflatable rescue boat out to the scene.
The team found Webb, the young girl and a surfer supporting each other before picking up the patient approximately 150 metres out to sea.
After waiting for a minor break in the swell, the team ran in on the back of a large broken wave to meet the anxious parents.
President of Killcare Surf Lifesaving Club, Craig Sheppard, said he wanted to recognise the bravery and skills demonstrated by the team.
“All would say they were just doing what they were trained for but given the ferocity of the rip and pounding of the surf, a good outcome was achieved, because all remained calm and worked as a team,” Sheppard said.
“[They] demonstrated skills that the Club should be proud of … awesome job [for] everyone involved.”
The team assessed the young girl as experiencing minor shock, before briefing the parents on the possibility of symptoms of “secondary drowning”.
The girl and family were kept under observation from a distance for approximately an hour and she was said to have progressed well.
Another swimmer was rescued on March 7, after getting swept off the rocks at Killcare Beach.
The swimmer had originally climbed the rock to take photos but a large swell knocked him off the perch, resulting in a lifesaving rescue by Killcare SLSC’s Sean Gunther.
Sheppard is asking for beachgoers to heed the advice of lifesavers particularly at times when there is a large swell.
“Please pay attention to the warnings and look at the signs … don’t put yourself in danger,” Sheppard said.
Maisy Rae