A freak wipeout at the Figure Eight Pools in the Royal National Park in Sydney, Australia was caught on video, prompting the National Parks to issue a warning to people visiting the area.
Approximately 100 people were knocked off an ocean rock platform when a massive wave hit last Saturday, reports Mashable. A 20-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital with minor injuries, New South Wales Police said in a statement. Two more people were also brought to hospital with minor injuries.
The Figure Eight Pools – shaped in a perfect figure 8 – are generally safe to visit at low tide and has seen a “dramatic” increase in visitors recently due to social media interest, Kane Weeks from the National Parks and Wildlife service told Mashable Australia. According to Weeks, the new demographic of 18-25-year-olds are arriving in search of adventure and adrenaline.
“Unfortunately, people like having waves coming over them while they are in the rock pools but it is dangerous when you don’t know the swells. We do say that if you are going to Figure Eight Pools, make sure it is low tide and low swell,” he said. “The warnings aren’t there to stop people going, but they just need to understand the risks.”
On the National Parks website, a warning has been posted advising swimmers to take caution. It is also advised to check surf conditions before posing for a ‘selfie’ near the pools.
The warning reads: “The rockpools are slippery and submerged under water at high tide. There’s no lifeguard service in this area; check the height of the tide and waves before you make the journey, and never turn your back on the ocean.”
