Phillip Island tragedy: Fourth person dies after three of her relatives die in mass drowning in rough surf
- Four members of the same family drowned on a beach
- Off-duty lifeguards pulled their bodies from the surf
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Four family members who drowned on a Phillip Island beach were swept away by a rip in the surf, police say.
Two women and a man, all in their 20s and living in Melbourne, were pulled unconscious from the water near Forrest Caves, an unguarded beach in the south-west of the island, about 3.20pm on Wednesday.
Paramedics tried to save their lives, but they died on the spot.
Another woman, 43, was pulled to shore a short time later.
She was taken to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital in a critical condition and died on Thursday.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Karen Nyholm said at a press conference on Thursday that the 43-year-old was on holiday in Australia.
Four members of the same family died after being pulled from the water on a Phillip Island beach
Two women and a man, all in their 20s and living in Melbourne, were pulled unconscious from the water near Forrest Caves, an unguarded beach in the south-west of the island, about 3.20pm on Wednesday.
“Yesterday afternoon there was an extended family at the beach and four of those family members decided to wade in the water,” she said.
“The waters down here are known for their rifts and treacherous conditions and unfortunately those four people have been swept into what we believe is a rift condition.”
A rip is a very strong and narrow current that pulls the water back to sea. They can pull swimmers from the beach at a speed of about one to two meters per second.
Ms Nyholm said the impact of the deaths would be 'profound' on the family, as well as the police, paramedics and life savers who tried to save their lives.
There were harrowing scenes on the beach as lifeguards pulled the bodies from the water on Wednesday.
Someone was heard shouting: 'I told them not to go; I should have been there.”
Alex Tzatzimakis, who was on the beach, said the situation was “terrible.”
She said beachgoers were in tears as bystanders who heroically brought the four people back to shore performed CPR.
Pictured: A warning sign at Forrest Caves Beach, warning people of the rough surf
The beach is not patrolled, but there are signs warning swimmers of rough conditions (photo: mourners at the scene on Thursday)
“The family was very upset,” Ms Tzatzimakis told 7News.
'There seemed to be a group of ten people who came here to have a really nice day. Apparently it has become a tragedy.'
Life Saving Victoria director Kane Treloar said off-duty lifeguards surfing the beach tried to rescue the swimmers.
“When we arrived on scene, our lifeguards discovered that off-duty lifeguards had pulled three of those people from the water and one of our rescue boats had pulled that last person from the water,” he said.
He said Forrest Caves Beach was very dangerous for swimmers because of the tidal waves.
The beach is also not patrolled.
“It's almost 20 years since we've seen a single event that resulted in such a large loss of life in Victorian waters,” he said.
'Our thoughts go out to all those involved.'
The police do not consider the situation suspicious.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Four people were killed after a mass drowning incident on Phillip Island beach on Wednesday (scene pictured)