One of three people who died in separate drownings in Victorian waters last week was a freediver who had lost his fins, police have revealed.
Key points:
- Three people drowned off Gippsland’s coast on Friday
- One man drowned after he lost his fins while freediving near Port Welshpool
- Lifesaving Victoria is urging people to know their limits and assess water dangers before entering
The 51-year-old male was freediving with friends near Port Welshpool in Gippsland on Friday when he lost his fins, which floated to the surface.
“He came to the surface struggling and he just lost his flippers … and then he just disappeared,” Victoria Police Morwell Tasking and Coordination Unit inspector Sonali Deshpande said.
The diver was reported missing at about 3:45pm and Water Police later retrieved his body 20 kilometres offshore from Welshpool.
Metung freediver Christine Watterson said losing fins could be stressful if people were not familiar with what to do in that situation.
“If you are freediving with a weight belt and you’re at depth when that happens, that can make things a little bit difficult, sometimes stressful under the water,” she said.
Ms Watterson said it was important for freedivers to have completed courses to know what to do in extenuating circumstances.
“If you’ve done your freediving course through a certified provider, you’ll understand what to do, how to stay calm, and the safety measures that are in place to either retrieve your fin or get back to the surface safely,” she said.
In a separate incident on Friday, a man was pulled from the water at a surf beach on Phillip Island at about 3:30pm.
“He attended the beach with the family, went swimming and his wife lost his sight, reported the incident to the authorities,” Inspector Deshpande said.
Emergency services personnel attempted CPR on the 66-year-old man but he died at the scene.
A third man drowned at Kilcunda Surf Beach while with a group of friends on Friday evening after being swept out to sea when he tried to retrieve a pair of sunglasses.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, went missing around the Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge at about 8:30pm and was found unresponsive on the beach an hour later.
A water safety message
Life Saving Victoria’s state agency commander Peter McDonnell said Friday was a “tragic” day and reinforced their water safety messaging.
“We really need to know our limits and know our equipment no matter what we’re doing, whether we’re diving, surfing, kayaking, any things that we’re doing to enjoy our coast,” he said.
Mr McDonnell said the ocean was a “wild beast” and both locals and tourists needed to know the dangers in the coastal environment.
“I think the Kilcunda incident actually happened after hours when our lifeguards further down the beach had finished for the day,” he said.
“So again, knowing where patrol locations are and also the operating hours and if lifeguards and lifesavers aren’t present, it may be best to push your swim to the following day.”
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