WA work safety watchdog makes ‘initial enquiries’ after family who hired kayak and paddleboards washed out to sea | Western Australia
WorkSafe WA is making ‘initial inquiries’ into the hotel which rented kayaks and inflatable paddleboards to a family who were washed out to sea and later rescued.
The Appelbee family were on holiday in Quindalup, 200 km (125 miles) south of Perth, when strong winds pushed their ship offshore from Geographe Bay on Friday afternoon.
The children’s mother, Joanne Appelbee, made “one of the toughest decisions” when she sent her 13-year-old son Austin for a four-hour swim in turbulent waters to raise the alarm.
After the boy reached shore safely and notified emergency services, his mother, brother Beau, 12, and sister Grace, 8, were found drifting in the ocean and clinging to a paddle board about 14 km (9 miles) off shore at around 8.30pm.
On Thursday a WorkSafe WA spokesperson said the group was aware of the incident but had “not been formally notified” and was “currently making initial inquiries”.
An Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) spokesman said on Thursday that it was alerted to the incident and an investigation was launched.
Club Wyndham Resort, where the family was staying, denied any wrongdoing in a statement to the media Wednesday evening.
“Our staff had no reason to panic as our guests were able to use the resort equipment free of charge until late in the day,” a spokesman said.
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“Guests are aware that the beach is off resort property, is unsupervised and there are no direct views of the beach from the property.”
“However, naturally the facility is conducting a safety review to minimize the risk of a similar incident occurring in the future.”
The resort did not respond to Guardian Australia’s request for further comment.
Prof Rob Brander, of the UNSW beach safety research group, said people often assumed it was safe to swim when the ocean was calm and there were no waves breaking.
That’s a problematic assumption, he said, given that strong offshore winds are one of the main reasons why waters near the coastline are calm.
“This is literally flying across the ocean surface and creating little waves that move offshore,” he said. “This could create a surface slide that could take you far from shore.”
Surf Life Saving (SLS) WA general manager Chris Peck agreed and said: “You don’t need waves, swell and rips for it to be a dangerous situation.”
He said he felt “positive” about chatting about a family “still alive and together” but stressed the importance of beach safety.
He encouraged beachgoers to find where the nearest patrolled beach is and stay between red and yellow flags, but acknowledged that could be difficult.
“If in doubt, don’t go out,” he stressed.
Brander also said beachgoers should be mindful that inflatable watercraft are dangerous to use in the ocean.
“It’s like sailing,” he said. “The problem is that inflatable balloons stick above the surface of the water and the wind catches it, especially if you are standing or kneeling, you are the sail.”
Before you get in the water, he suggested spending a few minutes “just thinking about beach safety,” thinking about what to do and who to contact if something goes wrong.
Peck agreed and said people should consider the difference between using inflatables in the pool and the ocean when purchasing inflatables.
“The ocean is the most dynamic environment you can enter because it changes every second,” he said. “Just because it’s flat and the water looks clear and the sun is out doesn’t mean the wind won’t blow offshore and you won’t be pushed out to sea.”
