A grieving Victorian man has broken his silence after four members of his family died in the deadliest drowning tragedy to hit the state in almost two decades.
Ankur Chhabra was on a road trip from Clyde to Phillip Island, 120 kilometers south of Melbourne, with his wife and seven other family members when they made a last-minute decision to visit Forrest Caves Beach.
Chhabra said nine family members visited the unpatrolled beach on January 24, but only five survived.
His niece and nephew, brothers Jagjeet Shivam Anand, 23, and Suhani Anand, 20, their sister Kirti Bedi, 20, and sister-in-law Reema Sondhi, 43, drowned after becoming trapped in a dangerous current while they swam.
Chhabra explained that his family was knee-deep in water and were having a good time, but within 30 seconds the conditions became dangerous.
Grief-stricken Ankur Chhabra (right) and his wife (left) have broken their silence after his sister, niece, nephew and sister-in-law drowned at a popular Victorian tourist destination.
The family was taking a road trip through Phillip Island when they made a last-minute decision to visit the unpatrolled Forrest Caves beach (pictured).
“The nine of us sat on the rocks, had lunch and had a good time,” Chhabra said. ABC Report 7.30.
‘My wife and I were on the rocks while family members were standing in the water, maybe ankle- or knee-deep.
“I didn’t feel dangerous because they were my children and my family. If I had seen any danger, I would have asked them to move.”
Mr Chhabra’s family, who were holding hands in the water, were hit by a large wave that swept them out to sea.
‘Suddenly, after 30 seconds or less, we saw in a different direction someone waving their hand and asking for help. When I looked, it was my family,” she said.
Chhabra and his friends tried to run into the water to save his family, but could not reach them due to the strong waves.
Mr Chhabra’s niece and nephew Suhani Ananad (right) and Jagjeet Singh Ananad (left) drowned at Forrest Caves beach.
Chhabra’s sister-in-law, Reema Sondhi, 43, was airlifted to hospital but later died. Her husband was also in the water but managed to get to safety (left).
Ms Sondhi’s husband Sanjeev was by her side and was swept away by the tear, but managed to get to safety and was saved by rescuers.
Other beachgoers and off-duty lifeguards from the nearby beach club immediately called emergency services and rushed to the family’s aid.
Jason Close, a volunteer at Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club, described the tragedy as “confronting” and “shocking”.
Close said that from the top of the dunes he saw four groups of people on the beach, with a mix of lifeguards and paramedics performing CPR.
Another lifeguard volunteer, Darrell Clarke, rushed to the scene on a jet ski and was instructed by a paramedic to administer CPR to one of the swimmers.
Clarke performed CPR for 40 minutes and said the ordeal was “quite disheartening” and “quite traumatic” with family members distraught and crying.
Despite the massive response, three people died on the beach, while Sondhi was airlifted to hospital with slight signs of life, but later died.
Beachgoers and off-duty lifeguards from the nearby beach club immediately called emergency services and performed CPR on the shore until police and paramedics arrived.
Forrest Beach is unpatrolled and has a warning sign at its entrance (pictured). Chhabra said the family noticed the “no dogs allowed” sign but didn’t see the small warnings about dangerous surf conditions.
Chhabra said the family outing turned out to be the worst day of his life and he was baffled that the only warning sign the family saw was about dogs on the beach and not about dangerous swimming conditions.
‘In a few seconds, we lost everyone. That is the most difficult time of our life,” said Mr Chhabra.
‘Before going up the stairs, there was another yellow sign. She’d say, “No dogs allowed” or something like that.
‘What is more important? Dogs on the beach or saving someone’s life? So which sign should be bigger?
Forrest Caves Beach is known for being a very difficult place to swim, with strong waves and dangerous waves.
A rip current is a very strong, narrow current that pushes water back into the sea. It can push swimmers off the beach at a rate of about one to two meters per second.
UNSW Beach Safety Research Group Professor Rob Brander, also known as Dr Rip, said the majority of Australia’s 11,000 beaches are unpatrolled and attract swimmers of all abilities.
“It’s something that has always happened and it’s something that will always happen,” Professor Brander said.
“If you continue to rely on the message of the flags, you are ignoring reality: there are many people on unpatrolled beaches.”
Professor Rob added that spotting a break can sometimes be difficult, but the dangers at Forest Caves Beach are clear.
«In the sand, cracks can be difficult to detect, but on this beach the danger is clear. The dark zone is a tear that can quickly drag swimmers away,” Professor Brander said.
Clarke said visitors and tourists alike often overlook the signage at the entrance to Forrest Caves Beach.
“Every day we talk to people on unpatrolled beaches about this being a dangerous area,” Mr Clarke said.
‘Do you have any idea how dangerous it is? Many who swim here, like these visitors, are unaware of the dangers.’
Rips are the number one hazard on Australian beaches and can be difficult to detect. However, key signs of a break include fewer breaking waves, gaps between waves, and deep, dark water (pictured).
Chhabra said he hoped the warnings on unpatrolled beaches would be clearer so other families would never have to lose a loved one.
‘For other people, maybe we made a mistake. Please don’t make any mistake,” Mr. Chhabra said.
‘Things can change in seconds. You don’t need minutes. It only takes a few seconds. Things can change. And someone can lose their life.
Royal Life Saving Australia data found 99 people had drowned across the country this summer, between December 1, 2023 and February 29, 2024.
The deaths marked a 10 percent increase in drowning deaths from the previous summer and a 5 percent increase in deaths over the five-year average.
The data found that 10 percent of drownings were reported as foreign tourists, and many deaths occurred in isolated and unpatrolled locations, including beaches, rivers, lakes and dams.