Maroubra rescue: Top athletes heroically dive back into the surf after gruelling Ironman competition to save 25 beachgoers caught in a ‘freak rip’
The country’s top surfing athletes have detailed their heroic rescue efforts after 25 people were sucked into a dangerous rip on a Sydney beach.
The Nutri-Grain Ironman and Ironwoman Series had barely finished competing for the day when a group of swimmers were sucked into a ‘flash rip’ in Maroubra on Sunday around 4pm.
Within seconds, the swimmers were forced out to sea by the powerful current and stranded in deep water.
Ironwoman Lana Rogers had regained her title for a second year and was celebrating with friends on the beach when she heard a call over the loudspeaker.
The Nutri-Grain Ironman and Ironwoman Series had barely finished competing for the day when a group of swimmers were sucked into a ‘flash rip’ in Maroubra on Sunday around 4pm (scene pictured)_
Within seconds, the swimmers were forced out to sea by the powerful current, stranding them in deep water (scene shown)
Star Ironwoman Lana Rogers was among the rescuers
“We just heard ‘huge rescues’ and luckily we were all still here,” she told Nine.
A group of eight athletes looked out to sea and saw dozens of people fighting to stay afloat.
Surf Life Saving NSW lifeboat coordinator Tony Carle was among those involved in the rescue but remained humble, saying it is what the athletes are trained to do.
“They responded the way life savers do: when the call goes out, we spring into action,” he said.
“The gentlemen I saved says, ‘It just happened so quickly.'”
Surf Life Saving Australia national sports manager Wayne Druery described the fast-moving waters as a ‘flash rip’, which is larger and flows faster than a regular rip.
No one was seriously injured in the incident, but witnesses described “confrontational” scenes as people lay motionless on the sand as lifeguards treated them.
Surf Life Saving NSW lifeboat coordinator Tony Carle was among those involved in the rescue but remained humble, saying it is what the athletes are trained to do.
It comes less than 24 hours after an emergency occurred just further north along the coast at Bronte Beach.
Four people were caught in the rip at Bronte Beach around 8pm on Saturday evening.
A man and three women, all in their 30s, were pulled from the water and taken to hospital.