Latest news with #TravisBarber
ABC News
14-05-2025
- ABC News
Streaky Bay residents mourn women after Back Beach drowning
The deaths of two women at a popular fishing beach has left the small South Australian community of Streaky Bay reeling. The bodies of a 67-year-old from Sturt and a 65-year-old local were recovered from the water near Back Beach on Tuesday afternoon. It is a situation all too familiar to residents of Streaky Bay, where there have been two fatal shark attacks in recent memory, including in January when Lance Appleby was taken at Granites, south-west of the town. "We can't take a trick at the moment, can we?" Mayor Travis Barber said. "We seem to be getting our fair share of incidents, so unfortunately we're not unfamiliar with this. "With some of the shark incidents, I've been speaking to our [council] CEO and we'll look at doing what we can to help people get through. The local woman was well-known in the community and at least one of the volunteers involved in the effort to recover the bodies knew her well. "The volunteers – SES and ambulance, plus police who mightn't be volunteers, but they know people – they were on the job in five minutes and were able to recover the bodies," Cr Barber said. "I feel for them. "This is one where people are familiar with each other and I understand one of the recoveries was a close friend. "We will rally and get around each other and push on." It is believed the two women were fishing along Back Beach, about 10 kilometres from the town, when one of them got into trouble near a spot well-known to anglers called Salmon Hole. It is believed one woman tried to save the other. "This heartbreaking event serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and unforgiving nature of the ocean and beach environments," Sean Faulkner of Surf Lifesaving SA said. "We are also very mindful that the Streaky Bay community is still mourning the loss of another member of their close-knit community earlier this year. "While offering some of South Australia's most stunning beaches and popular tourist destinations, this area also poses risks such as rip currents, sudden weather changes, marine-related dangers and challenges due to its remote nature." Local fisher Jeff Schmucker said Back Beach was "dangerous" and that the superficial calm of the conditions on the day of the drownings may have given off a "false sense of security". "The ocean's very calm, with an offshore wind and relatively small swell running, [but] combined with big moon tides, you get a big push of water onto the beaches," he said. "In this particular case at the Salmon Hole, there's a big hole next to the beach and with the high tide and the surging swell, there's a big release of water, which creates a rip and that rip is hard to navigate. "You get a big push up the beach [and] a lot of water can grab someone unsuspecting and pull them off their feet and drag them into the water, the water is so strong. "It's a dangerous beach. People are upset.
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Dead little penguins washed up on multiple Eyre Peninsula beaches
Dead penguins have been found washed up on beaches in the Eyre Peninsula, prompting concerns from locals. Other dead marine life has appeared on South Australian beaches in recent months as a result of a toxic algal bloom. The Department of Environment and Water (DEW) said it was unclear if the new penguin deaths were linked to the ongoing microalgae bloom Karenia mikimotoi. Krista Eleftherieu, who grew up exploring the West Coast, said she came across a dead little penguin at Almonta Beach in Coffin Bay National Park on Tuesday. "It was obviously quite sad and I didn't think much of it, but then kept walking and there was another one about 30 metres away," Ms Eleftherieu said. "And probably 50 to 100 metres away, were another two washed up on the beach. A DEW spokesperson said it was aware of reports of four penguin carcasses at Almonta Beach. "Penguin carcasses do wash up on South Australian beaches from time to time, including in Coffin Bay National Park," they said. "There are a variety of possible causes of penguin deaths, including terrestrial and marine predators, starvation and fatigue associated with changes in food availability, storm events, ingestion of plastics, natural disease and entanglement in fishing nets." District Council of Streaky Bay mayor Travis Barber said he came across a dead penguin and a dead mutton bird last weekend while walking his dog on a local beach. "I reported those to [the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia] PIRSA and was told two other ones had been reported down the beach. It's a bit of a concern," Mr Barber said. "I collected the bird out of the water and put it up on the high ground to report it so they could go and get it. "I was told about the bird flu issue possibility and was told to go straight home and wash my hands. "I hadn't any awareness of that so it is a good warning to people if they do find stuff, not to touch them or use a plastic bag." PIRSA was contacted for comment. The DEW spokesperson said the algal bloom was likely being driven by an ongoing marine heatwave affecting southern Australian waters, with water temperatures 2.5 degrees warmer than usual. Mr Barker said water temperatures were "still quite high" in Streaky Bay compared to last year's cold upwelling, which brought temperatures down to 12 degrees Celsius in summer. "When I was out only a couple of weeks ago it was still nearly 20C. That's really unusual for this time of year," he said. The DEW spokesperson said the bloom was expected to remain present until the state received strong westerly winds, which historically started around the end of April. "However, persistent high-pressure systems affecting southern Australia have delayed these winds. Nothing can be done to dilute or dissipate the bloom," they said. The DEW encouraged anyone who discovered a dead or sick penguin to contact the PIRSA Emergency Animal Disease hotline on 1800 675 888.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
South Fulton gun buyback program offers cash to get weapons off the streets
There's a big push to reduce gun violence in the City of South Fulton. Police partnered with community leaders today for their annual community gun buyback event. It took place at the Butner Road shopping center. Those who attended told Channel 2 Action News that it's part of a larger effort to make the community safer. 'It's very important because I met so many kind of people,' Travis Barber said. 'It's a great injustice to have these guns in our community in the wrong hands.' Participants in the event were given cash in exchange for the firearms. Police did not ask any questions of anyone who brought a weapon. There were also no photos taken and no identification required to participate. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Metro Atlanta murder suspects arrested hours away in coastal Georgia These Georgia billionaires are some of the richest people in the world, according to Forbes Shooting suspect arrested after being hit by car outside Magic City [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
