Latest news with #SurfLifeSavingQueensland
Courier-Mail
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Courier-Mail
Three swimmers hospitalised after being stung by jellyfish at The Strand
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News. Just days after stinger season's end and Townsville's stinger nets being hauled in, three swimmers have been hospitalised after receiving jellyfish stings at The Strand. A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said they responded to reports of three male swimmers being stung on Saturday at 7.30am. She said the swimmers were able to get out of the water before calling triple-0. They were subsequently transported to hospital in a stable condition. Townsville City Council responded with a post to social media on Saturday morning announcing temporary beach closures for The Strand. 'Heads up! If you're planning a swim at The Strand, please note that all beaches in the area are currently closed due to increased stinger activity️,' the council said. 'The beaches will remain closed for the next 24 hours while Surf Life Saving Queensland conducts stinger dragging operations. 'Your safety is our priority — please avoid swimming until further notice.' Townsville City Council announced that it had removed the city's stinger nets on May 20. Picture: TCC. It comes after the council announced four days ago that cooler weather had arrived and stinger nets were being pulled in at North Strand, South Strand, Pallarenda, Horseshoe Bay, Picnic Bay, and Balgal Beach. 'Whilst stinger season has ended, we still urge swimmers to proceed with caution in the ocean,' the council said in a social media post. 'Stinger season runs from November to May and nets are only removed after no stingers are caught in daily net drags for 14 days.' Reef RQ had a box jellyfish on display after it was pulled from the marina. Picture: Zak Simmonds A TCC spokesman said on Saturday morning that the council remained committed to the safety of our community and worked closely with Surf Life Saving Queensland to assess when stinger nets could be safely removed following the stinger season. 'Nets are only removed once there have been two consecutive weeks of clear net drags – with no stingers or signs of their presence, and water temperatures have consistently dropped below 26°C at all netted locations,' the spokesman said. 'We are aware of reports that a group of ocean swimmers has been stung off The Strand and our thoughts are with those affected. 'As a precaution, all beaches along The Strand have been temporarily closed for 24 hours while Surf Life Saving Queensland conducts stinger drag operations.' Acadian Surf Life Saving club member Jonathan Dulihanty with a small Bluebottle jellyfish on the Strand in 2020. Picture: Evan Morgan Earlier in May, Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) thanked its volunteer lifesavers and discussed the closure of 2024/25 volunteer patrol season for five of Queensland's six regions. 'Our message remains clear: swim between the flags, assess the conditions, and listen to the lifeguards who continue to watch over you. In the North, we thank your lifesavers who are now in full force keeping our tropical beaches safe,' SLSQ said. This season, Surf Life Saving Queensland: • Performed 1,052 rescues • Carried out 14,657 first aid treatments • Took 109,760 preventative actions • Experienced 12 fatal drownings — all outside patrolled areas Surf Life Saving Queensland was approached for comment. Townsville's lifeguard hours and status (services subject to change) The Strand Net 1 (North) There are 1-2 lifeguards. Lifeguard hours: Daily: 9am to 5pm Christmas School Holidays: 9am to 6pm The Strand Net 2 (South) There is one lifeguard. There is no lifeguard during winter months and public holidays. There is an emergency call beacon on site. Lifeguard hours: Daily from September to May: 9am to 5pm Christmas School Holidays: 9am to 6pm June to August and Public Holidays: no lifeguard The Strand Rockpool There are 1-2 lifeguards present 6 days a week. Lifeguard hours: Thursday to Tuesday: 9am to 5pm Easter and September School Holidays: 9am to 5pm Christmas School Holidays: 9am to 6pm Wednesdays: Closed for cleaning The Strand Roving Lifeguard Roving Lifeguard times and dates on The Strand: April to November: 9am to 5:30pm October to May: 9:30am to 7:30pm Weekends, Public Holidays, and School Holidays: 9am to 7pm Originally published as Three swimmers hospitalised after being stung by jellyfish at The Strand
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two British tourists drown in Australia
Two British tourists have drowned off the coast of Australia while swimming near the Great Barrier Reef. A boy, aged 17, and a man, aged 46, were swept out to sea on Sunday near the town of Seventeen Seventy, Queensland, on Sunday. They were declared dead at the scene after their bodies were recovered from the water by rescuers, the BBC reports. The pair, who are yet to be formally identified, were swimming off the coast of a beach without any lifeguards. One Australian man, who was airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries, is reported to be in a life-threatening condition. "We're not sure whether the third person jumped into the water trying to perform a rescue," Surf Life Saving Queensland's Darren Everard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In a social media post, emergency rescue service CapRescue said: "Sunday's mission was a difficult one," adding that the two people had died "despite the best efforts of all involved". More to follow.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Two British tourists drown near Great Barrier Reef
Two British tourists have drowned off the coast of a popular tourist town at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. A boy, 17, and a man, 46, were swept out to sea on Sunday while swimming at a beach without lifeguards in Seventeen Seventy - a town in Queensland named for the year Captain James Cook arrived in Australia. The pair were declared dead at the scene after being pulled from the water by a police rescue helicopter. An Australian man is also in a life-threatening condition after being swept out to sea, and was airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries. While police revealed that the deceased were from the UK, their names have not yet been released. "Sunday's mission was a difficult one," CapRescue, the emergency rescue service that found the three men, shared on social media - adding that the deaths had occurred "despite the best efforts of all involved". Police say the injured Australian man was from Monto, a town about 150 kilometres inland from Seventeen Seventy. "We're not sure whether the third person jumped into the water trying to perform a rescue," Surf Life Saving Queensland's Darren Everard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). There is only one beach patrolled by lifeguards within a 50-kilometre radius of Seventeen Seventy. Police are treating the drownings as non-suspicious and will prepare a report for the coroner. One-hundred-and-seven people drowned in Australia last year, with 25% of them born overseas, according to Royal Life Saving Australia. Australia's coastal fatalities mostly occur around creeks and headlands at high tide when "it's chaos in the water", Everard explained. Speaking to ABC, he encouraged tourists to "seek local knowledge" and swim between the flags. Relatives charged after boy killed in Australia shooting accident Australia's looming election brings housing crisis into focus
BBC News
14-04-2025
- BBC News
Two British tourists drown near Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Two British tourists have drowned off the coast of a popular tourist town at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef.A boy, 17, and a man, 46, were swept out to sea on Sunday while swimming at a beach without lifeguards in Seventeen Seventy - a town in Queensland named for the year Captain James Cook arrived in pair were declared dead at the scene after being pulled from the water by a police rescue Australian man is also in a life-threatening condition after being swept out to sea, and was airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries. While police revealed that the deceased were from the UK, their names have not yet been released."Sunday's mission was a difficult one," CapRescue, the emergency rescue service that found the three men, shared on social media - adding that the deaths had occurred "despite the best efforts of all involved".Police say the injured Australian man was from Monto, a town about 150 kilometres inland from Seventeen Seventy."We're not sure whether the third person jumped into the water trying to perform a rescue," Surf Life Saving Queensland's Darren Everard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).There is only one beach patrolled by lifeguards within a 50-kilometre radius of Seventeen are treating the drownings as non-suspicious and will prepare a report for the people drowned in Australia last year, with 25% of them born overseas, according to Royal Life Saving coastal fatalities mostly occur around creeks and headlands at high tide when "it's chaos in the water", Everard to ABC, he encouraged tourists to "seek local knowledge" and swim between the flags.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Snapper Rocks Swallows Man, Surfers Face $16k Fines (Video)
It was fun while it lasted. While Tropical Cyclone Alfred approached the eastern seaboard of Australia, it brought with it some historically epic surf to the Gold Coast and, in particular, the sand-bottomed tube treadmill of Kirra. Jack Robinson, Mick Fanning, and many others enjoyed a slew of cavernous, extra-long pits. Now, with the category 2 storm nearing landfall, things are looking a little different, with coastal erosion, sketchy rogue waves, and dangerous conditions for all. Officials are warning against beachgoers and surfers from getting close to the action, like this guy below at Snapper Rocks. In fact, the Gold Coast City Council is threatening surfers and beachgoers with a $16,000 fine for acting recklessly during the heavy storm conditions. A spokesperson said: " Although the large waves may be exciting to witness, we need everyone to stay well away from coastal areas for your own safety. No photograph or video is worth your life. "Increasing winds will see conditions deteriorate further and conditions become more dangerous. "We have seen several people involved in incidents because of the hazardous surf conditions including falls from rock walls and being swept out in the surf."Elsewhere, scenes of heavy seas washing into residential areas, and catching humans in the process, are also pouring in. Like cars being washed out to sea, and a woman and her dog, who narrowly made an escape as the ocean grew angry and nearly swept them away. Natalie Edwards, Surf Life Saving Queensland lifesaving services manager, warned: "We are experiencing erosion along Gold Coast beaches already that has created cliff drops of up to two meters in highly populated areas of Surfers Paradise, Main Beach down to Burleigh and Coolangatta. "Now is not the time to head to the beach for a look, especially with young children who may be pulled out by the fast moving tides that are encroaching on walkways and areas that normally would be far from the water. "Please don't put at risk emergency services personnel because you want to venture out in these conditions."
