Teen girl, man and woman saved from rip at Surfers Paradise and taken to hospital after lifeguards close beach

Bystanders helped save a group of tourists caught in a rip at a Gold Coast beach shortly after a resident complained swimmers had “ignored” lifeguards.

Boardriders and other bystanders have helped save a trio of tourists caught in a rip at a Gold Coast beach half an hour after a resident complained swimmers had “ignored” lifeguards.

The incident Wednesday prompted a senior paramedic to urge beachgoers, and particularly holiday-makers, to only swim at patrolled beaches and never in the dark.

Queensland Ambulance Service Gold Coast senior operations supervisor Adam Flory said despite three swimmers being taken to hospital, the situation could have been much worse.

Paramedics were called to The Esplanade at Surfers Paradise just before 6pm.

When they arrived they found a 17-year-old girl being retrieved from the water.

“While we were there a number of other people were retrieved from the water, which include a 42-year-old male and a 60-year-old female,” Mr Flory said.

The three people were treated and taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Queensland Ambulance Service Gold Coast senior operations supervisor Adam Flory. Picture: AAP/David Clark

Mr Flory confirmed the trio were visiting the city.

“They were holidaying on the Gold Coast. They were swimming in an unpatrolled section of the beach. Obviously the beach had been closed due to the lifeguards being off duty,” he said.

“They’ve entered the water at an unpatrolled section of the beach and got themselves into trouble.

“If it wasn’t for the quick actions of bystanders and local boardriders, it probably would have been a lot different outcome.”

“My advice would be to swim between the flags, make sure you swim in patrolled sections of the beach and stay out of the water especially at low light and of a night-time.”

Mr Flory said there was a “lot of unknowns” when “working in the dark” attempting to save swimmers in trouble.

“Being of a night-time, it’s obviously hard to see into the water, to see people that are in distress,” he said.

A lifeguard erects a red and yellow flag at Surfers Paradise.

Shortly before the incident, a resident posted a photo to Facebook showing more than a dozen people in the water at the beach, seemingly flouting lifeguard instructions.

“All these people should be ashamed of themselves,” the resident wrote alongside the photo.

“They have been asked a few times to leave the water for their own safety as the lifeguards are going home.

“So rude, completely ignored the instructions, (kept) their back to the shore and kept swimming. Must be so frustrating for the lifeguards.”

Almost two months ago, 35-year-old Southport man Dr Luqman Jubair was swept out to sea off Miami while trying to rescue another swimmer.

Boat capsizes near Gold Coast island

April 20: One person has been taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition after a tinny capsized off South Stradbroke Island.

The person suffered a cut to their lower leg in the incident and had to be taken from the island to the mainland about 4pm Wednesday.

View north from South Stradbroke Island.

Earlier: Several emergency services including paramedics and volunteer marine rescue have rushed to an unfolding incident near a Gold Coast island.

A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said a small boat capsized off South Stradbroke Island about 3pm.

Two occupants in the boat, a man in a stable condition with a leg cut and an uninjured woman, are being treated at the scene.

The spokeswoman said the incident was ongoing and volunteer marine rescue crews were helping paramedics with transport to hospital.

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Originally published as Teen girl, man and woman saved from rip at Surfers Paradise and taken to hospital after lifeguards close beach