Coffs Creek and the deadly chute of tragedy after mum swept to sea

Coffs Creek is both a beauty and a beast - and there’s mounting pressure to make it safer after a mum was swept to her death last week.

Coffs Creek - tourist magnet one moment, chute of heartache the next.

That’s the renewed talking point in the city after a mum visiting from Sydney was swept out to sea at Park Beach on January 3.

Within minutes the woman had been carried far out to Big Muttonbird Island - and when she was swept back to shore volunteer lifesavers and paramedics worked frantically to save her, but she died at the scene.

New Coffs Harbour City Council mayor Paul Amos.

The 47-year-old had not even been swimming in the creek - but had gone to wet her feet, slipped, and was caught in the storm surge.

New Coffs Harbour City mayor Paul Amos said the challenge posed by the creek was front-of-mind.

“That’s going to be a priority,” Mr Amos said, noting he wants to get all stakeholders - council, Crown Lands and environmental agencies together to explore ways to make the area safer.

Most local residents know the threat posed by a strong outgoing tide at Coffs Creek - and the situation at Moonee can be just as treacherous.

Dan Backhouse, junior activities chair with Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club, believes a build up of sand in the creek over the years has exacerbated the potential danger at the creek mouth.

“It has made it a chute,” Mr Backhouse said.

He said the creek hadn’t been dredged for 30 years, but that’s an option unlikely to be on the table.

“To dredge - environmentally it is very hard to do,” Mr Amos said.

“Anything at the mouth of coastal estuaries is not looked at lightly.

“Coffs Creek has been something close to my heart and I’d like to see how we can create a much better recreation area there.”

Another challenge has been an increase in the dune height just north of the creek mouth - where it is now so high that lifesavers cannot see the beach from their clubhouse.

Mr Amos said he hoped stakeholders could work toward a “compromise” to improve that situation “as safety should definitely be a priority”.

“I’d also like to see some sort of surveillance at North Wall Beach as well, as nothing beats having human eyes over things,” he said.