Gunnamatta beach rescuer tells how he thought he was going to die
A man who saved a stricken swimmer at Gunnamatta beach on Christmas Eve has told how he thought the two might die as he battled exhaustion and waves.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former Point Leo life saver who saved a drowning man at Gunnamatta beach on Christmas Eve said he thought they were both going to die.
Jed Lovell was enjoying his first Christmas Eve off in 20 years when he decided to take a late afternoon swim at his favourite beach spot.
He had only just jumped in the water when he noticed the man a long way out from shore.
“My life saver instincts kicked in and I thought ‘this guy was a fair way out by himself’,” Mr Lovell said.
TOTAL FIRE BAN AHEAD AS VICTORIA BRACES FOR A SCORCHER
TEEN LIFESAVER A CHAMP IN AND OUT OF THE WATER
“He was just getting further and further out, like a crazy distance out so I knew something was wrong.”
As Mr Lovell swam out he realised the man was in trouble.
“The waves were extraordinarily big and the guy was right at the back break getting pommeled,” he said.
“I called out to him and he was screaming like crazy and then I realised he’d been yelling for help the whole time.
“I hightailed it out to him and he had a cheap boogie board which was breaking up in the waves.
“I told him he had to lose the board but he said he needed it because he couldn’t swim and I’m like ‘God, what are you doing here dude’.”
Mr Lovell said he tried to sidestroke the man back to shore but the relentless waves made it almost impossible.
“It was quite difficult to make headway and I was getting incredibly tired,” he said.
“He had already given up, he kept saying ‘we’re going to die, we’re going to die’.
“I also had doubts either of us would make it back, I thought this is it, I’ve just drowned myself.”
Nearing exhaustion, Mr Lovell thought the best he could do was backstroke next to the man to keep him calm.
“The temptation was to just get myself in and leave him but I couldn’t have lived with myself,” he said.
Mr Lovell then remembered a sand bank about 100m from shore could provide their only chance of survival.
Mr Lovell managed to get the man to the bank with the help of some kind waves.
But the 48-year-old Tootgarook rescuer was still in trouble.
“I didn’t realise it was possible to be that tired, my lungs were spent, I thought I was done for,” he said.
“I don’t how I made it to the bank but I did.”
Both men were treated at the beach by an off-duty nurse.
They embraced one another.
“It was a profound and intense experience,” Mr Lovell said.
“When I found out he was OK I was finally able to relax.
“I said to him ‘we get to experience another Christmas’.”
The 21-year-old man, whose first name is Chris, was taken to hospital where he has since made a full recovery.
The dramatic rescue comes off the back of what Gunnamatta Surf Life Saving Club president Greg Goullet described as a “reasonably quiet” Christmas/New Year period.
“It wasn’t overly hot so crowds were down a bit which meant rescues were light on,” he said.
“But people not swimming between the flags is still a major problem.
“That’s the big one for us because not swimming between the flags can lead to swimming in rips which is dangerous.”
Mr Goullet said their job was a bit harder when people didn’t swim between the flags but safety was the ultimate priority.
“We don’t set the flags where its most convenient for the public, we set them where it’s the safest to swim,” he said.
“People who don’t want to swim between the flags are putting their life at risk.”