Killer seas prompt NSW water warnings

Rough seas that caused up to five deaths in NSW and Victoria in 48 hours has
prompted lifesavers to urge people to keep out of the water until conditions
improve.

Noted sailing identities Andrew Short and Sally Gordon were killed when the yacht
Shockwave crashed into rocks near Wollongong in the early hours of Saturday morning.
In Victoria, two bodies, believed to be those of fishermen missing since Friday,
were found in Port Phillip Bay on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, rescuers hold little hope of finding alive a 50-year-old Canberra man
sucked into the sea at Pebbly Beach, near Batemans Bay, in southern NSW by a freak
on Saturday morning.
Search teams from the SES, police and surf live saving groups have so far been
unable to find any trace of the man.
Andrew Edmunds, emergency coordinator for Far South Coast Surf Live Saving, said
search teams had been working tirelessly.
Mr Edmunds said trying conditions and the remote location were hampering the rescue
effort, now regarded as almost hopeless.
"It's quite cold and the surf's quite big. It's very hard to get to and there's
little or no communication available," he said.
"We'll have some people in the water (on Monday) to hopefully recover the body."
Four people, including a seven year-old-girl, also had to be rescued when their
runabout capsized in waters off Cronulla.
The accidents have prompted the Royal Surf Live Saving Society (RLSS) to urge people
to act cautiously.
"It's a terrible reminder that we can't control nature," RLSS chief executive Rob
Bradley said.
"Please think twice about getting into the water until the weather improves (and) if
you do have to be on the water take every precaution."