Coronavirus: costly swimming lesson for beach breachers

The allure of the clear water lapping at Sydney’s sun-drenched Coogee Beach proved too great on Friday.

Swimmers who defied social-distancing rules at Sydney’s Clovelly are ordered out of the water. Picture: Getty Images

The allure of the clear water lapping at Sydney’s sun-drenched Coogee Beach proved too great on Friday as beachgoers flocked en masse to the coastal oasis in the city’s east in direct defiance of ­social-distancing measures.

A visibly frustrated lifeguard was forced to sound the shark alarm just after 1pm, jolting hundreds of sunbathers who were lying side by side out of their now-illegal beachside slumber.

Below, a man who had refused to leave the water at Coogee. Photographer: Adam Yip

Police descended on Coogee and managed to clear most of the people 90 minutes later after telling scores of beachgoers they risked a $1000 fine.

Not all people, however, were interested in following a “move on” directive from police. A shirtless man wearing red boardshorts ignored multiple requests by lifeguards to leave the beach.

As he was escorted from the sand by five police officers, he shouted at reporters: “Someone has got to stand up to these people, they’re taking our liberties. Who gave them that right?”

One woman appeared to back the man’s controversial stance, yelling out: “You’re a legend.”

Randwick City Council said that, as a result of the brazen restriction-breaking, Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra beaches in Sydney would open only between 6am and 9am over the Anzac weekend.

Young girls argue with a lifeguard. Picture: MATRIXNEWS

“While we’re expecting warm weather conditions this weekend, people should not be planning a day at the beach,” Randwick mayor Danny Said said. “If residents head to the beach, it should be to go for a quick swim, surf or soft-sand run, then home again.”

It comes as the mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, said she would be prepared to reverse her position and close Bondi Beach to swimming and surfing on Tuesday if people defied strict social-distancing measures and lifeguards were forced to deal with a “Coogee crowd incident”.

Ms Masselos told The Weekend Australian she had contacted NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and the pair had agreed that Bondi Beach could still reopen on Tuesday under a “surf and go” and “swim and go” policy only. “There will be corridors to the water for those wanting to exercise so as to manage the flow of people coming in and out of the water,” Ms Masselos said. “No one will be allowed to sit on the sand or run.”

Police ask people to exit the water at Gordon's Bay, Sydney shortly after closing Clovelly beach due to crowds of people ignoring social distancing guidelines. Picture: Britta Campion

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller conceded beaches had been irresistible to many people, who have been largely confined to their homes since late March.

“We hope people go down there and exercise, have a swim, then dry off and go home, and really give someone else the opportunity to go down to the beach.”

Police officers would be “closely monitoring” beaches and popular exercise routes in Sydney over the weekend for anyone flouting social-distancing measures, NSW Police said on Friday.