Kitesurfers have been slammed for their ‘stupidity’ after they were spotted flying in rough conditions as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred still wreaks havoc.
The daredevils were caught on Channel 7’s cameras flying over Currumbin on the Gold Coast on Sunday morning.
‘We’re on a red zone here that stretches from the Sunshine Coast down to the NSW border,’ Paul Burt said while reporting live from the ground.
‘You cannot be on the beach, you can’t be in the water. There’s a $16,000 fine.’
One kitesufer was seen about 20 metres in the air being wildly blown about by the powerful wind.
‘He gets a wind gust under the kitesurf and it literally rips him up,’ Burt said. ‘That’s dangerous.
‘There’s a lot of water pushing out of the Currumbin Creek into this treacherous surf.’
He added ‘if something goes wrong with these guys, there’s no one down here to save them’.
Kitesurfers in Queensland have copped a vicious spray from a Seven News reporter
‘Coast Guard SE Rescue VMRs will not go out, nor neither will lifeguards cause they, they’re not even on the beach,’ he said.
‘And they shouldn’t be either. So that’s just stupidity 101, which is not good.
‘Kitesurfing for dummies, I’m sure it’ll be released with those blokes as the authors.’
Beaches were not patrolled by Surf Lifesaving Queensland on Sunday and residents had been advised to avoid them.
Natalie Edwards, SLSQ Lifesaving Services Manager said while Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a Tropical Low there is still a coastal hazard warning in place which is still causing large ocean surges and swells and the coastal erosion on the beaches is extreme and dangerous.
‘For those from the Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast, it might seem like things have calmed down, but the speed and volume of the tidal surges are still as harsh as they have been the last couple of days.
‘The erosion along South East Queensland beaches is dramatic with some experiencing sand cliff drops of more than 8-9 metres in highly populated areas and we have seen a number of lifeguard towers threatened or in the water now.’
‘The sand dunes are unstable and many coastal walkways are experiencing flooding so we urge everyone to stay home and stay safe.’
Ms Edwards reminded everyone that many beaches along the coast are not currently being patrolled due to the dangerous conditions, so those entering the water do so at their own risk.
Reporter Paul Burt labelled the act in the ‘red zone’ as ‘stupidity 101’ on Sunday
‘Please don’t put emergency services personnel or our on-call members at risk because you want to venture out in these conditions,’ she said.
It comes after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred was re-categorised as a tropical low and crossed the Queensland coast about 9pm on Saturday.
The cyclone has also brought widespread rainfall and inundated low-lying and riverine communities in NSW’s north.
Strong winds were seen lifting roofs from homes in Queensland.
Larger-than-normal tides and strong swells have washed away large swathes of beaches on the Gold Coast, with lifeguard towers seen poking out from the whitewash and large sandbanks carved away by the waters.
Tens of thousands of residents have been warned to stay indoors as an emergency declaration was put in place at Hervey Bay, 300km north of Brisbane.
More than 300mm of rain has pummelled the region since Sunday morning.
Wild footage showed streets inundated with brave drivers attempting to navitage through the treacherous floodwaters.
One resident stood out in the heavy downpour to reveal he awoke to ‘a lot of rain’ at 4am.
‘Hervey Bay is absolutely flooding,’ he said. ‘Have a look at this behind me.’
The resident pointed to Officeworks with the department store completely cut off by floodwaters.
‘This is absolutely crazy,’ he said.
An emergency flood alert has been issued for the Fraser Coast.
The State Emergency Service has received about 100 calls for help from the region.
