Near-tragedy prompts beach safety warning

Published on 07 January 2025

A terrifying incident in which a 12-year-old boy required resuscitation after being buried head-first in the sand has prompted Lake Macquarie lifeguards to warn about staying safe on the beach during school holidays.

The quick action of Lake Macquarie City Council lifeguards at Hams Beach north of Caves Beach on Saturday 28 December has been credited with saving the boy’s life.

Team Leader Beach Lifeguards Chris Wilson said the boy, who was holidaying from overseas with his family, was digging a deep hole in the side of a sand dune when it collapsed on top of him.

“Only his feet were visible,” Mr Wilson said.

“Bystanders raised the alarm and while Hams Beach is not patrolled, our lifeguards were thankfully close by, leapt into action and started digging him out.”

“The boy had to be ventilated but he regained consciousness and survived. It was a very close call.”

Mr Wilson said the near-tragedy was a stark reminder for families to keep an eye on their children at the beach, and for visitors to swim and play between the flags where lifeguards are close at hand.

“Not all hazards at the beach are in the water,” he said.

“The closer you are to our lifeguards, the quicker we can react if things go awry.”

Council lifeguards completed more than 300 preventative actions and 10 rescues over the Christmas/New Year period, with near-perfect weather luring bumper crowds to all five patrolled beaches.

“There have been a lot of bluebottles around, so we’ve had quite a few calls for first aid with swimmers and surfers getting stung around their legs, arms and bodies,” Mr Wilson said.

“We have been quite fortunate with the surf conditions over the past couple of weeks, but that’s meant to change in coming days.”

“Our lifeguards have been doing a fantastic job, but we want to remind everyone to stay safe, swim between the flags, know your limits and don’t go into the water if the red flags are up and the beach is closed.”

Go to lakemac.com.au for real-time information about conditions at the city’s patrolled beaches.