“It turned to tragedy”: Three people dead after mass drowning
Three people have died and another is in critical condition after drowning at the popular Phillip Island beach in Victoria.
Emergency response teams were quick on the scene on Wednesday afternoon after four people were unresponsive after being pulled from the water at the beach notorious for dangerous rips.
The victims are a man in his 40s and two women in their 20s, while another woman in her 20s is fighting for her life after being airlifted to hospital.
An eyewitness told 7News it was a “horrible” situation that unfolded.
“The family was really upset,” the witness, Alex Tzatzimakis, said. “There seemed to be a group of 10 people who came here for a really nice day. Obviously it turned to tragedy.”
She said that family members of the victims were crying and consoling each other, while beachgoers who pulled the bodies from the water attempted to perform CPR.
One man could be heard wailing, according to the Herald Sun, “I told them not to go – I should have been there.”
The incident is understood to have occurred at Forrest Caves, a popular tourist destination on Phillip Island known for its sea caves, but is also an unpatrolled beach known for its dangerous rips.
Locals have reacted to the horrific drowning, with many admitting they would not ever attempt to swim in the hazardous waters.
“It’s treacherous out there,” one person wrote on Facebook. “Definitely not a swimming beach. Only if you are a strong swimmer and understand rips.”
“So, so sad,” a second wrote. “Great surfing beach but not a swimming beach.”
A third said, “If the island is going to be pushed so hard as a tourist destination there will be more and more incidents.”
Drownings around Australia have risen this summer, with many people flocking to less busy unpatrolled beaches to escape the summer heat.
In the days before the fatal Phillip Island drowning, Surf Life Saving Australia CEO Adam Weir told Sky News Australia the issue is “very concerning”.
“We’ve had 33 drowning deaths around the country so far,” Mr Weir said.
“And we’ve still got a month to go in summer, so it has been a tragic summer.”
Image credits: 9News