Brisbane man rushed to hospital after being stuck in rip at Kings Beach

A Brisbane father of two was rushed to hospital after being swept more than 50 metres out at a Sunshine Coast beach on Saturday morning.

A Brisbane man was rushed to hospital after he was swept 50m offshore from Kings Beach in a fast and unexpected rip.

The father of two, believed to be aged in his 40s, was swimming at the popular Caloundra beach around 9am when alarm was raised.

Surf Life Saving Queensland Sunshine Coast duty officer Mike McDonald said it was one of several incidents on the region’s beaches on Saturday morning with dangerous conditions along the coast.

Kawana, Currimundi and Bokarina beaches are closed and Maroochydore beach was closed for several hours on Saturday morning.

Mr McDonald said the man who was visiting the region with his family for the day was sucked out more than 50 metres from the beach.

A Brisbane family man was taken to hospital after he swallowed water while being stuck in a rip at Kings Beach.

“At one stage he was in where he could touch the bottom but next minute he was in the rip and didn’t know what to do,” Mr McDonald said.

Lifeguards initiated a rescue however he was able to catch a wave to shore.

Mr McDonald said the man was unsteady and had swallowed a significant amount of water.

Paramedics were called and treated him at the scene before they took him in a stable condition to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Mr McDonald said lifeguards were also involved in a search for a surfer at the new Caloundra South Bar – at north Bribie Island.

He said two surfers told a lifeguard on a jet ski patrol that they could not find their friend who had been surfing with them near the bar.

A helicopter and multiple jet skis were involved in the search, however the surfer was found after it was realised he had already gone to shore at Golden Beach.

“We have big seas, the beaches are crowded, so stay between the flags because the rips are there and they’re not in all instances as visible as usual,” Mr McDonald said.

“They’re very strong because there’s a lot of sea movement.”

The king tides and heavy swells recently broke through Bribie Island and created the new bar, now dubbed Caloundra South.

Mr McDonald said lifeguards now regularly patrol the bar on jet skis.

Nathan bringing your weekend beach report 🏄

Southern beaches such as Rainbow Bay and Greenmount on the Gold Coast as well as protected pockets like Mooloolaba and Noosa on the Sunshine Coast will be the best beaches to visit 🌊

Always swim between the #redandyellow flags 🔴🟡 pic.twitter.com/lYJXptE1DA

— Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) (@lifesavingqld) January 14, 2022