THE mother of two children who almost drowned in rough conditions near the Newcastle Ocean Baths has pleaded with council to improve safety standards at the popular swimming spot.
Maree Holman thanked ‘‘luck, or the grace of god’’ after her two children, Alana, 12, and Joshua, 6, survived with only cuts and bruises after being swept across the break wall and onto rocks by a ‘‘freak wave’’ while paddling in the old canoe pool on Sunday.
The two children were playing in shallow water ‘‘just covering their feet’’ and ‘‘almost within reaching distance’’ of their parents sitting nearby, when a large wave crashed over the break wall and dragged them out into the white water beyond the pool.
‘‘It hit them and they were just gone, they disappeared under the water and then I heard my daughter scream as they were pulled out over the barrier,’’ she said.
‘‘It all happened in a split second, they were there and then they were just gone.’’
Although much of the pool is surrounded by a protective chain, the two children were pulled over a section where the pathway meets the pool.
Sunday’s rough surf conditions mean many of the city’s beaches had red flags up for parts of the day, and Ms Holman said it was only the quick reactions of her husband, Ian Screen, and a passer-by who helped pull the children out that stopped them being dragged out into the deeper water.
Both children sustained cuts and bruises, and Ms Holman acknowledged it could have been worse.
She said she wanted to warn other parents and implore Newcastle City Council to take measures to improve safety at the pool.
‘‘It was very scary stuff, my main concern is to let people know not to go because it isn’t safe,’’ she said.
A council spokeswoman said it was ‘‘important that everyone is aware of the dangers and risks present at the beaches and Ocean Baths, including the Canoe Pool’’.
‘‘Swimmers, surfers, rock fishermen and everyone using the beaches and surrounding facilities should always be aware of weather and surf conditions,’’ she said,
‘‘Council encourages beach users to ask the lifeguard on duty if they have any doubt about swimming or surfing conditions ... We also stress that parents should always keep a close watch on their children when they are in or near the beaches or pools, particularly given ever changing weather conditions.’’
