Park Beach tragedy: Teen lifesavers went above and beyond

One teen lifesaver valiantly tried to swim to the woman in the raging surf. A club representative has also revealed the woman who died did nothing wrong and “just went to wet her feet”.

A number of teenage lifesavers were involved in the heroic effort to save a woman swept out to sea from Coffs Creek on Monday.

One boy even jumped into the wild surf in a bid to swim to the woman before she was taken out - only to be rescued himself after he too got into difficulty in the huge current.

Coffs Harbour Surf Lifesaving Club junior activities chair Dan Backhouse told of their bravery and said they were currently receiving counselling.

The group of young members included five who had just completed their surf rescue certificate (SRC) and three who had acquired their bronze medallion.

Counselling has been extended to all of the youngsters after a tragic afternoon.

Mr Backhouse said the victim - a 47-year-old woman believed to be from Sydney who had been holidaying with family - had done nothing wrong.

“She just went to wet her feet (in the creek), slipped, and within five minutes was out near Big Muttonbird (Island),” he said.

The huge swell then washed the woman back to shore where lifesavers started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before paramedics arrived and took over. Despite their efforts, the woman could not be revived and died at the scene.

Two boys on bikes had no trouble getting across the walkway on Ocean Parade on Tuesday. Photo: Chris Knight.

While Coffs Coast beaches were closed on Monday due to the conditions, Mr Backhouse said dozens ignored the messaging.

“At least 60 people were told to get out of the water,” he said.

Mr Backhouse had nothing but praise for the volunteer lifesavers.

“They’re trained for it, but no one’s trained to see a dead body. We’re trying to support them,” he said.

“This is what we do, but all need to be commended.”

Grant Lawler, a director of the surf life saving club and the youth development officer, arrived shortly after the incident and described the conditions as “really treacherous surf”.

“Park Beach has definitely changed,” Mr Lawler said, a point underlined by Mr Backhouse.

He said much of the beach had been washed away, and the sand deposited in Coffs Creek.

The siltation had made the notoriously dangerous mouth of the creek even more perilous.

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

“We have a massive sand problem here and this is the first thing that needs to be fixed.”

He said the creek hadn’t been dredged for years, and that tonnes of sand had been added to the dunes - meaning the lifesavers no longer had line-of-sight vision of the beach from the clubhouse.

“It’s (siltation) choking the creek. There’s even a big gum near the Promenade which has come down and it’s covered three-quarters of the creek,” Mr Backhouse said.