Despite being seven months pregnant, when Lisa McGrady heard the calls of children in distress in the water, her first instinct was to help.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former Great Lakes lifesaver Lisa, her husband and her two year old daughter had just arrived from Sydney earlier in the day (December 17), for their Christmas holiday.
The family, along with Lisa’s father Michael Jones, decided to stop in at the Tuncurry Rockpool for a quick cool off on the hot afternoon, when disaster struck.
“We heard these children crying out for help in the water, it was a girl and two boys,” Michael said.
Related:
“When she heard them calling, Lisa didn't even hesitate. She passed the baby straight to her husband and dived into the water, after the children.
“Her husband handed the baby to me and followed her in, but she had already reached the little girl, who had grabbed onto the last of the oyster rocks and was clinging there, calling out for help.
“Lisa told her to stay there and cling on while she swam out to rescue the two little boys who were being sucked out towards the channel.”
“She managed to grab them both, and bring them back to safety.
“The kids were all between about seven and nine, and their mother was near by but it all just happened so quickly, there was no time to think.”
The children were returned to their mother unharmed, and the potentially tragic accident was resolved.
Although in this case there was a happy ending, the incident serves as a timely reminder of water safety awareness in the Great Lakes over the summer period.
“This sort of thing happens every year,” Michael said.
“There are warning signs, but the rockpool just looks like a safe place to swim, so visitors ignore the warnings.”
With a number of rescues conducted at the Tuncurry Rockpool every year, residents are becoming increasingly more concerned, especially with so many tourists flooding in over summer who have no knowledge of the dangers of the deceptively safe looking swimming spot.
“Lisa is a very experienced lifesaver, who lived and worked here for many years, so she knows how dangerous the rockpool is and was able to help, despite being so pregnant,” Michael said.
“But she won’t be there next time, and anyone who can help out might not be either, people need to realise how dangerous it is and how quickly you can get into trouble.”
