News

Volunteer surf lifesavers that patrolled NSW beaches over the past four days of heatwave conditions and Australia Day celebrations have been praised for keeping beachgoers safe during one of the busiest weekends on the coastline on record.

Two rescues performed by off-duty surf lifesavers, which saved the lives of eight men from Western Sydney, were the inspiration for a new learn to swim program that was officially launched on the Australia Day long weekend in Cronulla.

The coastal drowning death toll continues to rise in NSW with the sixth fatality since 1 January 2021.

After a huge weekend on NSW beaches, and heatwave conditions and large swells forecast for Australia Day, authorities are warning beachgoers to heed safety advice if they head to the coast to cool off.

On Friday 22 January at around 10pm, Surf Life Saving callout teams from the Illawarra joined other emergency services at Port Kembla where three people died after being washed into the surf.

With heatwave conditions and large swells forecast, surf lifesavers are preparing for a busy Australia Day long weekend as thousands of beachgoers head to the coast to cool off.

With hazardous weather conditions forecast to impact the NSW coastline from today, surf lifesavers are urging the public to exercise caution when visiting the coastline. 

A fifty-year-old mother of two drowned yesterday while attempting to rescue one of her children who was caught in a rip at Congo Beach on the NSW Far South Coast.

On Saturday 16 January, lifeguards and surf lifesavers attended Diamond Beach, on the NSW Lower North Coast, where a 35-year-old male was in trouble in the water about two kilometres north of the red and yellow flags.

When the indefatigable Nixy Krite came to Andrew Mackellar, RWC (Jetski) Coordinator at Surf Life Saving Sydney, with a six-page proposal for a training program to develop and retain female RWC operators, he knew he couldn’t say no.