Cops pull woman from surf

after chopper rescue fails

TWO police officers are being hailed as heroes after rescuing a woman from rough surf on the South Coast after failed retrieval attempts by helicopter.

Senior Constable Jennifer Codey and Probationary Constable Darryn Trethewey, both attached to Shoalhaven Local Area Command, were called to Gannet Beach at Bawley Point about 9:20am yesterday (Wednesday), police say in a statement.

The officers found a 66-year-old woman had got into difficulties while swimming.

Senior Constable Codey entered the water after attempts to rescue the woman from the shore and by helicopter proved unsuccessful because of ocean conditions.

Despite being pummelled and pushed under the water by the waves, Senior Constable Codey reached the overseas tourist and was able to bring her back to shore, where she was assisted by Probationary Constable Trethewey.

The woman was treated at the scene by paramedics.

Neither officer was injured.

Superintendent Joe Cassar says the rescue makes him proud to be a local area commander.

“This is why we all became police – it is proof that our training does save lives,” he says.

“As a relative newcomer to the Shoalhaven, the fighting spirit of the police in my command really impressed me today.

“I will be taking action to see both officers receive appropriate recognition for their unselfish actions.”

Meanwhile, a rock fisherman was unable to be revived after he was pulled from the sea by a jet-ski rider south of Port Kembla.

Police say the fisherman’s body was found floating off Fisherman’s Beach about 3pm yesterday.

The jet-ski rider brought the man to the beach where they were met by police and paramedics.

The 26-year-old man, of Asian appearance, was unable to be revived.

He was not wearing a life jacket

at the time.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

And Water Police are warning of the extreme dangers posed by the theft of life-saving equipment from coastal rock platforms after recovering a stolen lifebuoy known as an “angel ring”.

The buoy was allegedly stolen two weeks ago from the wharf at Lake St, Merimbula, on the Far-South Coast.

Following extensive inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a property on Hawkins St, Cooma, about 3pm yesterday.

The lifebuoy was seized from a garage and will be returned to the wharf at Merimbula, police say.

The property’s 21-year-old male resident “assisted police with their inquiries”.

Marine Area Commander, Acting Superintendent Darren Schott, says the lifebuoys are important life-saving devices and not toys.

“These ‘angel rings’ are provided by the Australian National Sportfishing Association, with the support of the Department of Sport and Recreation and NSW Sporting Injuries Insurance, at known rock-fishing black spots along the state’s coast,” says Acting Superintendent Schott.

“They have been installed on rock platforms for easy accessibility in case of an emergency.

“It is disappointing that anyone would think that it is acceptable to remove an ‘angel ring’ for any reason, other than a rescue.

“There are a large number of rock-fishing incidents where the deployment of an ‘angel ring’ might make the difference between a rescue and a recovery.”

He has urged anyone who may be in possession of an “angel ring” to return it whence it came or hand it in to police.

“I think it would be difficult to live with yourself knowing that someone drowned at a rock-fishing spot because, instead of the ‘angel ring’ being accessible for their rescue, it was hanging in your back shed,” Acting Superintendent Schott says.