The Sunshine Coast’s chief lifeguard has renewed a call for beachgoers to swim between the flags after a man drowned in a rip.
Trent Robinson said the man was swimming with his wife at unpatrolled Happy Valley, Caloundra, just after lunch on Friday when they got into trouble.
“They were caught in a rip. She’s made it to shore but he’s had a bit of a struggle,” he said.
Members of the public called 000 and lifeguards and paramedics rushed to the scene.
Mr Robinson said that, after a short search, lifeguards on jet-skis found the man unresponsive at the back of the break and brought him to shore.
Paramedics were waiting but there was no more that could be done for him, he said.
A police spokesperson said the man was from interstate.
“Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the non-suspicious drowning of a 56-year-old New South Wales man in Caloundra today,” they said.
“Emergency services were called around 12.30pm after the man was pulled unresponsive from the ocean at Happy Valley.
“He was declared deceased at the scene.”
Mr Robinson said the couple had not been very far out when they got into trouble.
“It was quite a nice day and conditions weren’t too bad but, in that area, there’s quite a few rips and the sand’s a bit unstable,” he said.
“There’s a lot of sand movement and that’s always opening up rips in there.”
He said a lot of people were tempted to cool off in the area after walking on the sand that has built up in the passage through to the northern tip of Bribie Island.
However, he urged them to walk to the nearest patrols 400m away at Kings Beach or 300m away at Bulcock Beach.
“That little pocket is out of sight. Lifeguards cannot see you there, so I’d just ask people to walk to Kings Beach or walk to Bulcock Beach if they want to have a swim.”
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