Surf Life Saving Tasmania remind people to stay safe following drowning at Cooee Beach near Burnie
Swimmers have been warned that conditions in the water can “change quickly” following the death of a man at a North-West beach. Surf Life Saving’s message for swimmers.
North West Coast
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Police and Surf Life Saving Tasmania said they did all they could to save a man who drowned in the state’s North-West at an unpatrolled beach.
The man in his 50s died at Cooee Beach near Burnie on Sunday afternoon.
Police said emergency services and surf lifesaving personnel were called to the beach around 4.30pm “after reports a man and several children were experiencing difficulty in strong currents”.
“Sadly, despite CPR efforts, the man died at the scene,” police said.
“The children were taken to the North West Regional Hospital, where they have been admitted for observation.
“A report will be prepared for the Coroner. Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Surf Life Saving Tasmania lifesaving services senior coordinator Ned Reardon said it received a call from the police asking for assistance.
“We deployed three emergency response teams – one from Penguin, one from Burnie, and one from Somerset – and those three teams responded to the incident to support police,” Mr Reardon said.
“There is no surf lifesaving club at Cooee Beach. It sits between a patrolled beach at Somerset and one at Burnie.”
In the aftermath of the death, Mr Reardon said the organisation supported the surf lifesavers who responded to the emergency.
“We’ve followed up with all of our emergency response teams and offered them support, as well as conducting a debriefing process.
“On behalf of the organisation, we extend our thoughts to the family and friends of the man and those impacted during such a difficult time.”
Mr Reardon said that beaches were dynamic places where conditions could change “quite quickly”.
“Beaches present with a range of different hazards, and depending on the conditions for that day, different things can arise that can change.
“When going swimming or going to any beach, there’s always inherent dangers.
“That’s why we encourage people, where possible, to swim between the red and yellow flags at a patrolled beach and visit beachsafe.org.au to get a better understanding of safety and weather information at different beaches.”
Mr Reardon said that surf lifesavers would continue to patrol beaches across Tasmania until the end of the month.
“But we know that it’s not always possible to swim at a patrolled beach.
“So people should, when they’re heading to the beach, stop and check for rips, look for other dangers at the beach, and plan how to stay safe.”
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