Onlookers’ desperate effort to save trio drowning at Gunnamatta

A rescuer has revealed his harrowing experience helping to save a father and son struggling for 20 minutes in treacherous surf at Gunnamatta.

rescuer has revealed his harrowing experience helping to save a father and son struggling for 20 minutes in treacherous surf at Gunnamatta. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A rescuer has revealed his harrowing experience helping to save a father and son struggling for 20 minutes in treacherous surf at Gunnamatta, as police continue to search for the man’s other son who disappeared.

Alan Kiernan, 65, and his son Liam Kiernan, 16, were among the first people to ­notice two young men struggling in the water 50m from shore at 6.45pm last Friday.

The Mornington Peninsula ocean beach is a notoriously dangerous swimming spot.

“You could barely see them because it was so choppy, they were in the water in terrible conditions,” he said.

He immediately rushed to the Gunnamatta Surf Life Saving Club, where lifeguards were still cleaning equipment after their patrols ended at 6pm.

Police continue to search for the missing man. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

He said the lifeguards he spoke to jumped into action immediately, enlisting any of their colleagues still there.

“When I got back to the top of the sand dune to look down, I realised my son was in the water as well and he was actually rescuing the 16-year-old who was in trouble,” said Alan Kiernan.

Liam managed to reach the boy and assist him back to the beach.

“I got down to the waterline and my son struggled like crazy, but he got the young guy in, he was in a bad way,” Mr Kiernan said.

Other bystanders along the beach had also kicked into ­action, with one local man jumping into the water to try and save the boy’s 20-year-old brother, but his efforts were in vain.

At the same time, the father of the pair, who had been on the beach, jumped into the tough surf but also got into trouble. He was rescued by a local man known by the nickname “Plugger”.

The remaining surf lifesavers reportedly searched “frantically” for the 20-year-old man as Ambulance Victoria and police arrived at the scene – but they were unable to find him.

Five days later police are now scaling back their search as hopes of finding the man’s body fade.

Despite the tragic outcome for one of the brothers, Mr Kiernan praised the other ­locals who sprang into action.

“For those two people to enter the water, with disregard for their own safety, to try and rescue these guys, I just find that quite amazing,” Mr Kiernan said.

“This would have been a triple fatality if it were not for the fact that the lifesavers were still there and that their equipment was still available.”

Mr Kiernan said that when he approached the man known as Plugger following his rescue of the father, the man had tears in his eyes.

“He’s an absolute hero,” he said.