As the Indian community mourns the death of two men who drowned near Coffs Harbour on Monday evening, lifesavers have impressed the importance of surf safety to new migrants and refugees.
On Tuesday, Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club held a workshop for around 100 new migrants and refugees from Sydney’s west and south-west.
Migrants and refugees take part in the workshop at Tamarama beach.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales
“Many of the attendees, from a diverse array of countries including Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan and China, are part of the refugee community and have only been in Australia for a few months,” Surf Life Saving NSW said in a statement.
“Most had not been to an Australian beach before and had limited beach safety knowledge.”
The workshop at Tamarama beach on Tuesday.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales
The statement said Monday’s drownings “highlight the importance of this program in educating high risk groups in NSW to be aware of hazards at the beach”.
Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club President Tim Murray said his club was “committed to playing a lead role in addressing drowning rates from the migrant and refugee community”.
While Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce said “through education, we hope to help protect these vulnerable communities”.
“The single greatest message we hope has resonated today with all the participants is the importance of swimming between the red and yellow flags. We want this to be a safe and happy summer for all Australians,” he said.
Participants were taught the importance of swimming between the flags.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales
Earlier Tuesday, SBS Hindi reported 45-year-old Mohammad Ghouseuddin and 35-year-old Syed Rahath, both from Auburn in Sydney were pulled from the surf near Coffs Harbour on Monday but were unable to be revived.
Two girls, aged 15 and 17, and a 15-year-old boy were rescued; however, a third man, 28-year-old Mohammad Abdul Junaid, feared drowned, has still not be found.
“This is an unfortunate and horrific tragedy for the Indian community,” Mr Syed Siraj Patel of the Indian Muslim Association of Australia (IMAA) told SBS Hindi.
An initial search for the missing man was called off late on Monday due to fading light and deteriorating surf conditions.
Police on Tuesday praised the locals involved in the initial search with one lifesaver swimming 700 metres to rescue one of the teenagers.
“It was absolutely brave, they’ve put themselves at risk,” Inspector Brendan Gorman told ABC News.
“In those conditions and at that time I don’t know how else you describe it other than it’s outrageously brave.”
Surf Life Saving NSW North Coast duty officer Les Pepper said the search had moved to the back beach of the unpatrolled Moonee Beach.
“It is a treacherous stretch of beach, not safe at all,” he told ABC News.
“Some of the beaches are really nice, they look really nice, but are a bit treacherous.
“At Moonee, it is a river mouth, the creek comes out from there and the rip forms from there and takes you straight out, and people just don’t understand what rips are.”
Mr Pepper urged people to only swim at patrolled beaches with many now staffed seven days a week over Christmas.
Lifeguard Greg Hackfath broke down telling reporters about the tragic event.
“They’re never easy,” he said.
Additional reporting: AAP
