Williamstown lifesavers and a boy they rescued have reunited to warn others of the dangers of fast-changing weather conditions when swimming at the beach.
It came as Emergency Services Minister James Merlino launched Water Safety Week and the results of this year’s Victorian Drowning Report, which showed 43 drownings statewide over the past year.
Mr Merlino said, from next year, all Victorian primary school students must be taught swimming as part of the curriculum.
Altona Meadows teenager John Mastos said he and his mate, Jordan, were at Williamstown beach on Monday of last week when the weather turned “just like that”.
John said he and Jordan had swum out to what’s known as a ‘no-boating buoy’, about 100 metres from shore.
“It was very sunny … the same as it was all day,” he said.
“Then all of a sudden, Jordan just goes to me, look there’s a storm coming, and as soon as he said that the storm hit.
“I was just hanging onto the buoy … I realised I was in a little bit in trouble.
“I tried to swim back and then I thought to myself, I’m gonna drown, I can’t do it.”
Damien Bull said he and fellow lifesavers Josh Charlesworth and Paul Sullivan had just finished training the Nippers or juniors when they saw the pair in trouble.
“So, I … grabbed a board and headed straight for the beach and then Josh followed me with another board, and Paul had already taken off … and was swimming out there.”
John said the lesson he learned was to check the weather beforehand and to “look back”.
“When the storm hit, we looked back and [realised] everyone was out of the water.”
