Youth Caught in Rip Credits Wetsuit For Keeping Them From Drowning
December 26, 2022
PHOTO: OSCAR FRANCIS
“I was paddling as much as I could and trying to get back into the beach because I realised, ‘oh, this is bad’,” the youth said.
The youth eventually managed to get back to shore unaided about the same time as an inflatable rigid boat from the St Kilda Surf Lifesaving Club came on hand.
The youth was uninjured and had a summer safety message for anyone who might be hitting the waves over the coming weeks: “Get a good wetsuit. This one’s very, very thick, and it’s got a great amount of buoyancy, so I wasn’t going under no matter what happened.
“I think if you’re going to swim in very deep water, you need a good wetsuit that will keep you safe — and have family that will call the coastguard,” the youth said.