NBSLSC training training keeps members equipped and rescue ready. Club member Rob Laurie used his skills to undertake a rescue on the Central Coast recently. Rob’s account of the rescue below – an amazing effort!
Enjoying a beer and looking forward to the BBQ on our last night of a blissful summer holiday on the NSW Central Coast.
At 7pm I answered a call from my wife Kat who had returned to the beach to take some photos. She said a snorkeler had been swept out to sea through the opening of Spoon Bay rockpool and was in dire trouble and needed assistance urgently. Kat and others on the beach had called 000 but there was no sign of help arriving anytime soon.
When I looked from the hillside from our holiday rental my heart sank to see the swimmer well out to sea getting pounded by the swell in front of the rocky coastline.
I grabbed my son’s 7 foot foam surfboard and started to run down to the beach. Whilst running down the hillside and through the dunes I remember thinking, I hope by the time I get to the beach someone else has rescued the swimmer or maybe she’s made her way back shore under her own steam. No such luck! The group of people on the rocks pointed to the sea and I could see the swimmer was in serious trouble and was hopelessly attempting to swim against the current. Her time was running out fast.
I jumped on the board and paddled out through the narrow opening at Spoon Bay, greatly assisted by the powerful rip I got to her surprisingly quickly. She said she was ok but I could tell she was clearly stressed and exhausted. She climbed onto the board, I talked to her for a few moments about getting in, in this short time the rip dragged us further out to sea and we started to get smashed by the waves breaking on the reef/sandbar a 100 metres or so beyond the coastline. It was time to get moving!
Initially I attempted to paddle back though the opening at the Spoon Bay rockpool but the current was too strong and we could not make any meaningful headway. Additionally the board was too small for two large adults and was making paddling pretty ineffective.
I asked if she was ok to hold onto the back of the board and kick whilst I paddled, I knew it was the only way we would make progress – she said she would give it a go. I decided the only way in was via a rock inlet just to the north. There was no rip there but it was a very narrow opening, there were large waves and rocks to contend with. After sometime maneuvering away from a rock face at the opening of the inlet, it was time to go in.
I managed to ride in on the back of two large waves and found we were almost there, at the same time there was lull between waves. I paddled hard through the impact zone safely and we managed to catch the next white water wave across the rocks into safety. I put her on the board by this stage but this left me being dragged by my leg rope across the rocks until I could free myself.
Amazingly we got in with barely a scratch. I had resigned myself to copping a serious cheese grater shredding but it went so well. I think I was in the water for at least 20 minutes.
The police arrived on the beach just as she got to the shoreline. She had taken in a fair amount of water so the ambulance took her to hospital for assessment.
Shortly afterwards members of the Wamberal SLSC arrived in a 4WD towing their IRB, I joked with them saying, “not to worry North Bondi SLSC had it all done and dusted.”
They informed me that Spoon Bay is a notorious black spot and there have been numerous drownings over the years, including one only 6 months ago. Fortunately on this day it was a happy outcome.
Nick Bryant (ex BBC correspondent and renown author) witnessed the scene posted on his Twitter account: https://twitter.com/NickBryantNY/status/1481578245942571012?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
