Skip to main content

A remarkable rescue midway through the afternoon on National Water Safety Day has rammed home the message that lifejackets save lives, as two men were brought back to shore safe and well after their vessel capsized off Newport reef. 

Lifeguards from the Australian Lifeguard Service were quick to respond on Thursday 1 December and were on the water in minutes after witnessing the half-cabin vessel capsize from the beach. When they got out to the reef they found one man clinging to the side of the vessel and another reported to be caught underneath.

The lifeguard then jumped off the jetski once the first man, who could not swim, had been secured and swam underneath the vessel as the second man appeared. He had gone under the boat to retrieve the lifejackets.

The two men were of Eastern European origin with poor swimming ability. Lifeguards assisted the men with their life jackets.

Lifeguards Max Mulham and Mark McManus returned both men to shore conscious and breathing to be assessed by NSW Ambulance.

“It was definitely one of the more high intensity rescues I’ve seen, they did a great job,” said ALS Northern Beaches Lifeguard Supervisor, Andrew Lindop who was coordinating the rescue from the headland.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO, Steve Pearce said the rescue was a great demonstration of how critical life jackets are when boating.

“This is a fantastic example of how life jackets save lives in the ocean,” he said.

“For this to happen on National Water Safety Day as well, a day that we really focus on awareness and education around the importance of safe practices around the water, it’s great to see the community is taking this on board and what amazing work from our lifeguards.

“We never want to see incidents like this occur, but when they do, to see that the public has taken the proper precautions to ensure their own safety is good news.

“We are very pleased that both men are safe and well.”

Thursday 1 December 2022