John Willett has urged families to take care at the Werribee South beach, after he rescued a young boy from the ocean earlier this month.
The 68-year-old local visited the beach about 3pm on July 3, with the intention of enjoying the view and a cup of coffee. He parked near the children’s playground and went to chat with some fishermen.
Mr Willett said he saw a young boy, who appeared to be about three years old, run onto the sand and an older man, whom he believed to be the boy’s grandfather, pursuing the youngster.
Mr Willett said the child ran into the water and suddenly “disappeared” under the ocean’s surface.
“When he got around three metres into the water, the child went down a crevice or a dredged area – the grandfather, in pursuit, did too,” Mr Willett said.
He said that he saw the older man resurface with the boy, but he lost his grip and the child started to float away, face-down in the water.
“I immediately jumped in the water,” Mr Willett said. “The water was about 10, 11 feet deep, very dangerous so close to the shore.”
Mr Willett said although his feet could not touch the bottom, he managed to grab the child and heave him onto the sand.
The grandfather crawled out of the water on his hands and knees as Mr Willett patted the boy on the back. The boy coughed up some water but otherwise appeared fine.
Mr Willett said afterwards, the grandfather thanked him profusely for his actions, but that they did not swap names.
“The main thing is, the little child is OK,” Mr Willett said.
He does not want another family to experience the same “near catastrophe” and wants to warn people of the dangers of the beach.
He said the water at Werribee South beach could look quite shallow when the tide goes out, but the sand below the ocean’s surface drops away on a sharp diagonal, much like a cliff-face, making it very deep just a few metres from the shore.
“The tide goes out and it looks very deceiving,” he said.
Mr Willett reported the incident to Wyndham council and Parks Victoria, and hopes signs will be installed to let beachgoers know about the sharp drop.
Parks Victoria regional director Jo Richards said there was “comprehensive aquatic risk signage advising of the risks” in the area and that swimming was also not permitted in the boating channel, for public safety.
