Australind, Albany drownings: Communities reeling after two drowning tragedies amid month of heartbreak

Two regional communities have been left reeling after another horror weekend in WA waters. Tragedy struck in Australind and Albany when two men were pulled from the water in separate emergencies with both unable to be saved despite the brave efforts of fellow beach-goers. A man in his 60s died in Australind after he was plucked unconscious from the waters of the Leschenault Inlet about 7.40pm on Saturday night. The man was understood to be crabbing in the water near the corner of Lucy Victoria Avenue and Old Coast Road when tragedy struck. St John WA attended the scene after a member of the public attempted to revive the man to no avail. The inlet — about two hours south of Perth — is a popular summer spot for local families offering a place to cool off, fish and hunt for blue manna crabs. Sunday morning brought more heartbreak in the Great Southern when another man in his 40s died after he was found in the water off Albany’s Middleton Beach Dog Beach. A passer-by spotted the man unresponsive in the water and sprung to action, pulling him onto the sand before attempting to resuscitate him. The swimmer was taken to Albany Health Campus by ambulance after St John WA was called to the beach about 10.40am but he again could not be saved. Both incidents are not being considered as suspicious but police are investigating what exactly occurred before the men were found. The events mark the fourth and fifth drownings to rock WA families in the past fortnight. Perth dad Rory McGuire, 46, drowned after jumping from a boat in Brisbane’s Manly Harbour on New Years Day leaving behind a devastated wife and two sons, aged 11 and 9. Mr McGuire’s death came the day after two children — a boy, 6, and a girl, 4, — drowned in the Swan River while families settled in to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Police and paramedics desperately tried to save the two children on the banks of the river off Camfield Drive near Crown Perth as dozens of horrified families watched on. It came after Perth boy Sonny Skrzypek, six, and his four-year-old Kiwi cousin Eddie Lawrence drowned in a stream in New Zealand on December 29. The young boys were thrown into an 11m-deep swimming hole at Waikainga Stream when their utility terrain vehicle hit a boulder in Peria on the country’s North island. The driver of the vehicle and three others managed to escape but the two young boys could not be found, despite frantic efforts.