Rip currents in Tasmania: Family’s close call as locals rescue pair

When the Bohlscheid family went to the beach for an afternoon dip, they never imagined the terrifying ordeal that lay ahead. Now they want to share their lessons learnt to other families.

Iryna and Guy Bohlscheid with son Clyde, 5 in their home city of Launceston. Picture: Alison Foletta

When the Bohlscheid family went to the beach for an afternoon dip, little could they have imagined the ordeal that awaited them.

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon at Lulworth Beach on the state’s North Coast and Iryna Bohlscheid, husband Guy and five-year-old son Clyde were doing what any family would do – making the most of the long weekend.

The beach was predictably busy, the water sparkling and the weather warm.

All signs pointed to a perfect day.

But it was when Ms Bohlscheid found herself alone in the unpatrolled beach that their trip took a dramatic turn for the worst.

Clyde Bohlscheid at Lulworth beach before the incident occurred. Picture: Iryna Bohlscheid

“As I was going swimming the waves started disappearing, and I said to myself ‘cool, I can swim longer’,” she said.

“But when it started dragging me into the ocean, I started to become distressed.”

The unfamiliar yet powerful force engulfing Ms Bohlscheid was a rip current – one that with the help of her husband and two good Samaritans, only identifiable as Nick and Lee, she was lucky to have survived.

“I started waving to my husband and screaming, and he started swimming towards me, but then we both started to be dragged into the current,” she explained.

“I started losing my strength and that was when Lee came towards us with a surfboard, but he was not local so we didn’t know where to go.

“Nick was a local surfer so he swam us out on another board.

“It was long but we eventually made it back to shore.”

Lulworth beach on the day of the incident. Picture: Iryna Bohlscheid

After the frantic rescue effort, the Bohlscheids reunited with son Clyde who sat patiently on the shore waiting for his mum and dad to return.

Choking back tears, Ms Bohlscheid recalled being consumed by shock.

“We could have made our son an orphan,” she said.

According to Surf Life Saving, rips kill an average of 26 Australians each year, making them the most deadly hazard on Australian beaches.

They occur when waves produce piling water that exits back out to the ocean through a narrow, localised current, so strong it can pull swimmers away from the beach at a speed of one to two metres per second.

Ms Bohlscheid said as a competent swimmer and frequent visitor to the beach, she “didn’t realise” the very real threat they posed, even on a day with seemingly perfect swimming conditions.

“When the waves stopped I should have left the water, because it’s hard to realise you could be taken when nothing is there,” she said.

“You just never know when things can change.

“I am really thankful to Nick, Lee and my husband for saving me and so grateful to be alive.”

For more rip current survival information visit surflifesaving.com.au

WARNING SIGNS OF A RIP:

-Deeper and/or darker water

-Fewer breaking waves

-Sandy coloured water extending beyond the surf zone

-Debris or seaweed

-Significant water movement

Originally published as Rip currents in Tasmania: Family’s close call as locals rescue pair