Teenage girl pulled from Happy Valley as lifeguards issue warning
Lifeguards have set up a temporary outpost at a dangerous Caloundra beach in a bid to keep holidaygoers safe while still urging visitors not to swim in the area.
Sunshine Coast
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A man who watched a teenage girl be pulled from the water at a notorious Caloundra beach has recounted the rescue.
The girl was pulled from the water at Happy Valley, near Bulcock Beach at Caloundra about 11.45am on Tuesday.
Ian Masterman said he saw two young people on boogie boards rush to the teenager’s aide while a lifeguard on a jet ski made his way over.
The good samaritans stayed with the girl until the lifesaver could get to her, he said.
She was then pulled to shore on the jetski and looked over by paramedics.
She was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition with complaints of chest pain.
A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said the girl, who was in her early teens, had taken on water but was otherwise unharmed.
Happy Valley, an unpatrolled beach hidden from view from the patrolled area of Bulcock Beach, has been the site of many tragedies; the most recent being 27-year-old Brisbane woman Lucinda McGrath, who drowned on January 22.
Sunshine Coast Surf Lifesaving supervisor Anthony King said it was not recommended to swim at Happy Valley.
He said a temporary outpost had been stationed there for the school holidays due to an influx of visitors.
Volunteer lifesavers assisted with several incidents at the weekend, Mr King said.
“We’ve got a couple of lifeguards there … with a jetski as well, occasionally, but they can’t be everywhere at once,” he said.
“It’s such a large stretch; Happy Valley is now reaching across to Bribie Island.
“We’re even finding people are walking across there and walking up to Bribie. It’s extremely unstable around that area.”
He said the number of swimmers visiting the spot had increased since the river mouth had almost closed.
It remains to be seen if the outpost would be made permanent, Mr King said, but he welcomed the idea.
He said the message these holidays remained the same, always swim between the red and yellow flags.
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