A woman has drowned at the famed Gold Coast, Australia surf spot, Snapper Rocks.
On Sunday afternoon, the woman was swimming with her children at Froggies Beach, just behind the rock at Snapper. When it was clear they were in trouble, bystanders jumped in the water to attempt a rescue. Then, expert crews arrived to rescue the would-be rescuers. The two children were saved, along with the civilian rescuers; but sadly, the woman could not be resuscitated.
“They had just been getting smashed up against the rocks,” a witness told 9NEWS.
The good Samaritans were celebrating a gender reveal party on the beach when they noticed the woman and her children struggling in the surf.
“We saw a mother and daughter start drowning,” Medhi Balouch told 9NEWS. “My brother hopped in and tried saving them. Saved the daughter. My brother-in-law hopped in as well. Got the daughter out and then went again for the mother.”
By the time rescue crews pulled the mother from the surf, it was too late.
As a result of the incident, local council is considering more signage at the beach to warn swimmers of the dangers.
This tragedy comes just after a recent run of epic surf at Snapper Rocks, and ahead of the upcoming World Surf League’s Challenger Series kickoff event at the famed righthander.
The Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro event window runs from May 6th-13th.
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