JUST one week after qualifying as a lifesaver 14-year-old Tom Walsh has rescued two girls from an unpatrolled beach at Venus Bay single-handedly.
Grabbing a newly installed public rescue tube from Number Five Beach Tom fought strong currents and heavy surf to reach the two girls one at a time washed out behind the main break.
“I was so relieved,” said 15-year-old Charlotte Baker.
“I don’t know how he did it.”
Charlotte and her friend Nikita had decided to go into the water unsupervised.
“It seemed like fun at first,” said Charlotte.
”I could feel the pull of the water from each wave. I was out of my depth, and I knew we were in trouble.
“I am not a strong swimmer and couldn’t feel the sand anymore.
“I panicked,” admitted Charlotte.
Swimming with his cousins early on New Year’s Eve Tom heard the girls’ screams.
Grabbing a surf lifesaving rescue tube from the newly installed Public Rescue Equipment (PRE) station at the base of the beach walkway Tom did what he was trained to do by first pressing the emergency call button to call triple zero.
Only recently qualified as a lifesaver, and with just a single patrol weekend under his belt, Tom dived into the surf with the rescue tube slung across his shoulders and swam out through the surf towards Nikita and Charlotte.
Watching from the beach Tom’s younger brother Ben could not believe it.
“I looked out to see Tom in the water starting to swim.”
The first thing Charlotte saw was the yellow rescue tube.
“I didn’t know he was a lifesaver,” said Charlotte.
“He was such a strong swimmer.”
Supporting Charlotte onto the beach Tom swam out again to rescue Charlotte’s friend Nikita.
“Both girls had been pushed out to the back of the waves,” said Tom.
Responding to the triple zero call lifesavers from the Venus Bay Surf Life Saving Club arrived within ten minutes.
“The girls were still in shock but otherwise safe,” said Tom.
Charlotte’s father David Baker was clearly emotional recalling the day’s events.
“As soon as I saw Tom I could see the boy could do what he had to do.
“I have my daughter in 2025 and for that, I am indebted to him for life.”
Tom’s father praised his son and the Venus Bay Lifesaving Club.
“I’m very proud of what he did.
“He knew what to do and had the equipment at the beach.
“The club and all the volunteers at the club contributed to that.”
Venus Bay was chosen to trial the Public Rescue Equipment (PRE) stations after extensive community consultation identified the town’s beaches as high risk.
The effectiveness of PRE stations will be evaluated during a three-year trial to assess the potential use of such equipment in other high-risk drowning areas across Victoria.
To date the PRE that was installed on Sunday, December 22, immediately prior to Christmas, has already contributed to the life-saving rescues of six people at Venus Bay beaches.
