Carrum Surf Life Saving Club

27/01/2026

Well done to the beachgoers of Carrum tonight.

✅ Very few inflatable toys, and those few were kept close to shore.

✅ Most people kept well away from Patterson River.

Our volunteer surf lifesavers patrolled until 9pm tonight, to ensure the few people near the river were safe when the wind change came through.

Thank you to everyone for staying safe tonight - and thank you to our volunteers for again donating your valuable time.

27/01/2026

It’s one of the hottest days this decade.

Our volunteer surf lifesavers are on patrol from now until dusk.

We expect offshore winds soon, so make preparations to ensure you don’t drift out to sea.

Just after dusk we’re expecting winds that will push anyone still in the water into the channel at Patterson River.

Never swim near Patterson River.

Always keep children in sight and, if near water, in arm’s reach.

26/01/2026

Another huge Australia Day for our volunteer surf lifesavers yesterday, with TEN rescues. 🛟🛟🛟🛟🛟🛟🛟🛟🛟🛟

Remember:
⚠️ Inflatable pool toys aren't designed for the beach, especially when there's an offshore wind.
⚠️ Keep an eye on children because they can get lost quickly on a crowded beach.
⚠️ It's never safe in the water near Patterson River.

Well done to our volunteers who were kept busy for the whole afternoon and evening - in the boat, with rescue tubes, and in the tower with binoculars.

22/01/2026

⚠️ TRAFFIC ALERT ⚠️

SES Chelsea advise to avoid McLeod Road in Patterson Lakes where it appears a water main has burst, creating a large sink hole and a huge water spout that is flooding the road, directly opposite the Cove Hotel.

Our friends at Chelsea SES advise that there will be traffic disruptions for some time once the water company get the water turned off and the road repairs are started.

19/01/2026

Here's a snapshot into the mind of our patrol captain at a point in time yesterday (a pause long enough that they took a photo from Carrum SLSC's observation room).

A quick reminder that Carrum SLSC is 100% volunteer. We had a patrol of just four people (the minimum standard). With two people crewing the boat, they have just themselves and another volunteer on the beach.

Carrum IRB, one of our boats, is the only unit our patrol captain is in direct control of in this photo. The IRB has just returned a SUP and the occupant(s) to the beach.

Kingston 40 is a rescue watercraft (RWC) operating out of Carrum SLSC and coordinated by Life Saving Victoria. They're supporting another SUP and their occupants, waiting for our boat to return to assist with a return to shore.

Kingston 41 is the other LSV RWC (they work in pairs), this one is moving at pace to yet another SUP needing help which is being supported by a civilian vessel.

Moments after this photo the toy boat folded in half and got thrown around by the wind while all nearby rescue craft were out rescuing SUPs.

And the beach wheelchair was on free loan from the club, so we were keeping an eye on their safety also.

Meanwhile, we're still watching over those swimming between the flags.

All of this was coordinated and managed by volunteers at Carrum SLSC. All at once.

That's a snapshot of a single moment from yesterday - lots more happened as well, here at Carrum, and across the state.

Most importantly - everyone got back to shore, and home, safely.

19/01/2026

ABC Melbourne reached out to us this morning to talk about a busy day yesterday for lifesavers across Melbourne.

Have a listen to what was said when our patrol captain for yesterday, Ben, had a chat with Sharnelle Vella and Bob Murphy on ABC Radio.

Life savers were kept busy yesterday as winds pushed people on SUP's, inflatable toys and kayaks out to sea.

18/01/2026

Seven rescues of stand-up paddle boarders by Carrum SLSC’s volunteer surf lifesavers today.

All between 200-400m from the coast. All drifting out to sea.

Plus a number of rescue “assists” helping our Life Saving Victoria colleagues, as well as a number of retrievals of balls and other things drifting to sea that young ones chase after.

Offshore winds aren’t common on our side of the Bay - always check the conditions before venturing into the water, regardless of the activity you’re doing.

16/01/2026

Amazing efforts by our colleagues at Wye River, Kennett River, and Lorne SLSCs, as well as the wider Life Saving community.

Our thoughts are with the communities and visitors that were impacted and well done to the responding surf lifesavers and club members.

We are proud of the extraordinary efforts of our local lifesaving clubs and personnel who provided critical support to communities affected by this week’s flooding along the Great Ocean Road.

Wye River Surf Life Saving Club lifeguards and volunteer members went above and beyond their usual patrol duties, working alongside emergency services to assist displaced residents.

It was an incredible effort to open the club’s doors to provide overnight refuge for three families totaling 32 people and to redirect community members to safe areas in support of on-the-ground emergency agencies.

The club offered its facilities to support decontamination operations and provide a base for Ambulance Victoria, and helped coordinate and distribute food for impacted members of the local community

At Lorne Surf Life Saving Club, overnight refuge was provided for more than 100 people in partnership with the Victoria Salvation Army Emergency Services and Surf Coast Shire Council . Kennett River SLSC also made itself available as a designated refuge location, reinforcing the strength of community connection across the region.

Support has also extended from the air, with the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter conducting critical aerial search and transport tasks, including winch rescue operations and the deployment of Victoria Police Water personnel to remote locations.

LSV CEO Cath Greaves said the response reflects the deep commitment clubs have to their local communities.

“These efforts exemplify what lifesaving is all about – not just patrolling beaches but stepping up in times of crisis to protect and support the people around them.

"Our clubs are trusted community hubs, and their rapid response during this event is a powerful reminder of their value beyond the shoreline.”

We will continue working with emergency partners across the region to ensure safe, coordinated support for affected communities in the days ahead.

📸Wye River SLSC providing support to the community

09/01/2026

On a catastrophic day for Victoria, our volunteer surf lifesavers had an extraordinarily busy day during their unscheduled additional heatwave patrol.

Multiple complex incidents and rescues with the support of Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, and Life Saving Victoria teams, including the Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter, Kingston RWC team (based at Carrum), and Bonbeach Life Saving Club. Thanks most of all to our volunteers for donating your time to support the community in these conditions

Here’s some new tips to stay safe:
- never swim near Patterson River
- don’t accept rides on vessels from people you don’t know
- don’t operate a PWC if your ability is so poor that you flip it in a river.

Our stunning sunset tonight is born from the ashes impacting fellow Victorians to our north. Our thoughts are with all of you.

08/01/2026

07/01/2026

It’s a stinking hot day, so our volunteer surf lifesavers are providing an additional evening patrol at Carrum Beach.

The current forecast is for a wind change in the next hour or two, which will push those in the water near Patterson River into deep water.

Help avoid the need for us to rescue you by staying well clear of the river and bathe between the flags in front of the surf lifesaving club at 11 Carrum Promenade.