Boys played on Glenelg breakwater before drowning tragedy, Surf Life Saving official says

Two boys who drowned at Adelaide’s Glenelg Beach were playing on the breakwater before they slipped on the rocks and fell in, a lifesaving official has said.

Surf Life Saving South Australia SA emergency operations manager Andrew Bedford also told of a similar tragedy in the same stretch of water involving a man.

Mr Bedford said he would be approaching council about the lack of any signage warning of the dangers in the area of the breakwater.

He said one drowning death was “one too many” and that lifesavers had been debriefed after the drownings on Friday of two 11-year-olds.

“We will probably touch base with the local council on Monday regarding any signage that we can put in the area to try and alert people to any dangers that are there,” he said.

Lifesavers on duty and others training nearby responded to the emergency that involved five children in trouble in the water about 6pm on Friday.

Three children were pulled from the water but two boys were reported missing.

They were found a short time later.

One died at the scene and the other on arrival at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“They were playing, I believe, on the breakwater and slipped off the rocks into the breakwater,” Mr Bedford said.

“There is quite a deep channel on the other side of the breakwater there, so very hard to swim with the current that’s running through there as well.”

He said he could remember another drowning in similar circumstances near the breakwater involving a man.

He urged people to swim at patrolled beaches and to ask lifesavers for advice before entering the water.

Lynda Martin witnessed Friday’s tragedy unfold and said warning signs were needed around the breakwater.

‘Children love climbing rocks’

“Definitely now because children love climbing rocks and that looks pretty appealing when you’ve got a little cove there,” she said.

“You would think it was safe so I think there should be good signage placed along the beach, really.”

City of Holdfast Bay Mayor Stephen Patterson said in a statement the council was shocked by the tragic drownings.

He said the council would help police in their investigations.

“New Year’s Day is traditionally a time when we celebrate the year that has passed and look forward to the year to come, so yesterday’s events have deeply affected the Holdfast Bay community,” Cr Patterson said.

“We commend the actions of the surf lifesavers and emergency services, who were able to save three of the five children, and we urge people to swim between the flags and be as safe as possible around water.”

According to a national report by Surf Life Saving, there were 12 coastal drownings across South Australian last year, compared with seven the year before.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.