Source : Perth Now news
A popular lake in the Perth Hills remains closed following the drowning death of a teen.
A bouquet of flowers was laid at the entrance to Lake Leschenaultia, where the 17-year-old’s body was recovered from the water on Tuesday afternoon after it is understood he became trapped under a pontoon.
Dozens of visitors to the recreational site scrambled into action when they heard screams for help about 2pm but could not get to him until it was too late.
“I just want to extend my thanks and appreciation for members of the local community who worked tirelessly to try to rescue that young man until emergency services arrived,” WA Premier Roger Cook said.
“That was a heroic effort by a number of members of the community and we really appreciate their efforts.”
The boy’s death was the ninth in WA since the start of summer on December 1, while there have been 55 fatalities nationally in the same period.
“That is a devastating statistic,” Royal Life Saving WA chief executive Peter Leaversuch said.
Signs posted at Lake Leschenaultia and the surrounding park informed visitors the area was closed on Wednesday.
The teen’s death is being treated as non-suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Witness Emerald Mckelvie was at the lake with her young children on Tuesday afternoon when she heard the 17-year-old’s twin brother scream for help.
“The boy was yelling out, ‘help, help … he’s under there’ and then everyone started running in,” she said.
“Everyone was just running and trying to find this boy.
“We got the boats out and went to the pontoon, all until the police and ambulance and everyone came.
“We did everything but … (the) boy didn’t come back up.”
Lake Leschenaultia, a former railway dam, attracts more than 80,000 people and more than 14,000 campers each year.
Upgrades, including a “designated swimming-only area protected by commercial buoys”, were announced in September.
It is not the first fatal incident at the lake, with a man aged in his 20s reportedly having a seizure and dying in front of swimmers in 2017.
Leaversuch said lakes “present particular challenges for swimmers”.
“On the surface they might appear quite calm and safe but the water, one, can be colder. Two, it is fresh water, that means that floating is less, and also the bottom of the surface can be unknown in terms of its drop-offs,” he said.
Leaversuch said the incident has “caused us all” to think about the safety of pontoons.
“Like all things with aquatics, whether it’s a pontoon, whether it’s a jetty, whether it’s a rocky outcrop, there’s always dangers associated with going in the water and this is but one,” he said.
“We certainly wouldn’t put a great amount of stock in saying that there needs to be substantial change around the use of pontoons.
“In our experience that is not part of the solution in preventing drownings”.
Shortly after the Lake Leschenaultia emergency, a man aged in his 40s also drowned in Bremer Bay.
It is understood he was trying to save two children at Native Dog Beach when he himself got into trouble.
That incident came after a Sio Afamasaga, 22, died in hospital after an emergency at City Beach in Perth on Friday.
His heartbroken family is now crowdfunding to fly his body home to Samoa.
On January 4, 40-year-old Perth woman Olya Tikhanova died at a remote beach on WA’s south coast when she was swept off rocks.
Mohammad Swapan, 44, and his 40-year-old wife Sabrina Ahmed died at Conspicuous Beach, near Walpole, 430km south of Perth when they rushed to rescue their daughter.
‘Do more’
Leaversuch hopes state leaders will do more to ensure all children undergo swimming lessons, increase the numbers of safe spaces to swim and ensure there are enough lifeguards and instructors.
“We’re calling on the state government to do more. Not that they haven’t done enough in the past, but the size of the challenge is continuing to grow,” he said.
“When you think about the growth in our community, the geographical spread into regional WA, the people are travelling to enjoy the water so we’ve got a lot of challenges emerging and we need a new response.”
He said it was also important for parents, families, local and federal leaders to help address the challenge.
“The most important messages going forward into these hot days, particularly for parents, is to firstly keep watch and to supervise their children, and to make sure they are in arm’s reach,” Leaversuch said.
“If your kids don’t know how to swim, enrol them in swimming lessons.
“If you’re going out boating, make sure you wear a life jacket.
“And for teenagers out there, just remember alcohol and risk-taking behaviours don’t mix with the water.”
