The tragic drowning of a man at a beach near Hobart has seen authorities renew warnings about the dangers of swimming in unpredictable waterways. The 38-year-old father had come to the aid of a group of children caught in strong currents near a notorious river mouth.
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00:00Carlton Beach is a picturesque place where surfers, swimmers and families come for a
00:07pleasant day by the water, but on Sunday this coastal strip was the scene of devastation.
00:13The matter is a tragedy and obviously our heart goes out to the family involved.
00:18Children swimming near the river mouth were caught in a rip, along with a 38-year-old
00:22father who'd come to their aid.
00:25As any family member would, you would do whatever you need to do for your family.
00:30Rescue teams from the nearby surf club were deployed and managed to bring the kids to
00:34shore, but the man couldn't be saved.
00:37One of those patients required resuscitation, which the Surf Lifesavers commenced and worked
00:41with emergency services.
00:44Tragically the person couldn't be revived.
00:46There is a report being prepared for the coroner.
00:49The matter is still being investigated.
00:51We're speaking to people, witnesses.
00:53In a statement the local surf club said, it was a tragic day at our beach yesterday,
00:59but also an amazing effort by our members to rescue four people.
01:03While the water in the river mouth can look calm, authorities say it can be deceptive
01:08and has been the site of previous drownings.
01:13They include the deaths of a brother and sister who were washed out to sea near the river
01:17mouth in 1998.
01:20There are often rescues there with people who do get caught, either unfamiliar with
01:26the area or have exhausted or got extremely tired.
01:31Signs are in place to warn of the dangers, but some locals say they could be more prominent.
01:37I reckon people need a bit more awareness about the current in here.
01:42As you can see even now, the current goes pretty strong that way, and when it's not
01:45going that way it's always going strong the other way.
01:48Authorities are reminding people to always swim between the flags at patrolled beaches.