By BRIDGET COOK
A CRANBOURNE South man was one of two who died in the water over the weekend in three separate boating emergencies.
The 64-year-old Cranbourne South man died after his motor boat got swamped at Shallow Point on the Bass Coast around 6.30am on Sunday.
The man and a 34-year-old Yarram man were thrown into the water and neither was wearing a personal floatation device (PFD).
An emergency beacon was activated and emergency services attended, however the Cranbourne South man died at the scene.
The Yarram man was conveyed to Latrobe Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident was one of three that occurred on Sunday and has prompted a warning from police, given that two resulted in death as the victims were not wearing a PFD.
A man, 20, died in Seaford after his kayak capsized around 7.45pm on Sunday night.
The search is still on for a Croydon Hills man, 36, whose boat was found upturned along the rugged Kilcunda coastline.
With more people using Victorian waterways given the hot weather and with the Australia Day long weekend approaching, police are urging people to ensure they take all the necessary safety precautions and ensure their equipment is up-to-date.
Acting Senior Sergeant Alistair Nisbet, from the Water Police, said the deaths were an absolute tragedy for the families involved.
“Your heart absolutely goes out to people when they lose their loved ones in circumstances such as this,” he said.
“What the Water Police want to do now is ensure everyone using Victorian waterways is making safety their number one priority.
“We have some of the best beaches, lakes and rivers in the world and while we want everyone to enjoy them, we don’t want lives put at risk.
“By making sure you have the right safety equipment, using up-to-date and well- maintained equipment, and following a number of other steps, we can all enjoy summer on the water safely.”
