Featured Image Credit: 7NEWS
Topics: Australia
Tom Sanders
An Australian weatherman was involved in a dramatic rescue of a young boy on a Gold Coast beach while broadcasting.
Paul Burt, of Australian news network 7NEWS, was presenting a report about the danger of ocean gutters live from a beach in Surfers Paradise, when the very thing he was warning about ended up unfolding right in front of him.
Speaking to a news anchor about the events that just took place, Burt, still wet from the endeavour, explained how a 10-year-old Pakistani boy had got himself caught in the gutter and ended up getting sucked hundreds of metres out to sea by a deadly riptide, which was spotted by a member of his news crew.
Burt then interrupted his report to go and help a small group of beachgoers go and rescue the boy and drag him back to safety.
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“It’s that type of scenario that drags people out,” Burt told his colleague at 7NEWS.
Although it took Burt several minutes to reach the boy, his vision obstructed by sets of choppy waves, he nevertheless managed to reach him in time and was able to pull him ashore before it was too late.
The boy’s small size meant that he was able to stay afloat, and managed to avoid being dragged underwater by the strong riptide.
“A group of family from Pakistan jumped in, they got sucked out,” Paul said.
“There was a 10-year-old boy ... that got dragged out into this fierce gutter, and of course into this rip.
“Being of a lightweight he managed to stay afloat and come in adjacent to the southern side of the gutter.
“About four or five of us jumped in and basically pulled him back to the beach.
“He’s living, he’s breathing, he’s conscious, he’s talking – the ambulance here are doing their best to obviously keep him alert.
“There’s no doubt he would have taken a fair bit of water in.”
Burt signed off by reminding beachgoers that ocean gutters, like the one he just found himself in, may look innocent at a glance but can be deadly for inexperienced swimmers.
“These gutters here are very, very dangerous,” Burt said.
“We’ve had half a dozen rescues on the Gold Coast here this week.”
Riptides are one of the deadliest hazards to be found across Australia’s coasts, with numerous safety groups and locals emphasising the need for greater education about their dangers.
According to coastal watchdog group Surf Life Saving Australia, more than 116 people have drowned on Australia’s coastline in the past year alone.
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