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Three Victorians and a South Australian woman have drowned in a deadly weekend on Australian waterways.
A 17-year-old Pakenham boy died near Mordialloc, south of Melbourne, yesterday afternoon. He was found unresponsive in the water after an extensive air search but could not be revived.
Earlier in the afternoon, another Victorian man drowned at a lake in Ebden in the state’s northeast. Onlookers saw the man, believed to be aged in his 30s, struggling in the water after chasing after his dog at Kookaburra Point. He was pulled to shore and taken to hospital but he later died.
A 73-year-old South Australian woman also drowned at Seacliff, south of Adelaide, about 7pm yesterday. She was pulled unconscious from the water and could not be revived.
The three Boxing Day deaths come after a 19-year-old St Albans man drowned on Christmas Day at Lorne in Victoria’s south-west. Both Victorian and SA police say they will prepare reports for the coroner.
Meanwhile, two young Victorian girls were rescued in a near-drowning at St Kilda beach in Melbourne’s south-east. The girls, aged 10 and 11, were seen struggling in waters off the pier on Monday evening when mounted branch officers came to their rescue. The girls were assessed by paramedics but did not need to go to hospital.
Life Saving Victoria is reminding people to stay vigilant around the water. The organisation’s general manager lifesaving services Liam Krige said:
Please, make safe decisions whenever you are in, on or around water, such as never swimming alone, ensuring children are actively supervised.
– AAP