ROCKDALE Council hopes the state government will help it tackle massive foreshore sand movement that may have contributed to a boy, 5, drowning at Dolls Point.
Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay is this month expected to visit the site where Ayman Ksebe died while swimming with his older brother on Sunday December 22.
The shallow water in which they were playing leads abruptly into a deep channel with a strong current at the mouth of the Georges River.
Rockdale mayor ShaneO’Brien said the council had been trying for a year to get Mr Gay to inspect the foreshore.
The job was delegated to government officials, so Mr O’Brien said he made another approach and Mr Gay agreed in November to make the inspection in January this year.
Over the past six years, sand has been sucked from Sandringham Bay and deposited onto an ever-increasing spit that has engulfed the Dolls Point wharf, which used to extend into deep water.
In January 2007, two men who had just arrived in Australia from Lebanon to marry sisters, drowned next to the wharf.
It was thought one man got into trouble while swimming, and the other jumped from the wharf to help.
The latest tragedy happened between the wharf and Dolls Point swimming baths, which are largely filled with sand and are used by few people.
Rockdale Council was attacked by relatives of the dead boy for there being no warning signs on the beach.
An online petition calling for the council to adopt a number of measures attracted nearly 7000 supporters.
The council blames the sand movement on dredging of the bay for several projects, including the third airport runway, expansion of Port Botany and the desalination plant pipeline from Kurnell to Kyeemagh.
Councillor O’Brien said he and council staff had arranged a meeting with petition organiser Carina El Saouda tomorrow (Wednesday) but had not been contacted by the boy’s family.
‘‘When they think it is appropriate, we would like to speak with them and try to understand what happened,’’ he said.
He said the council would carefully examine the findings from an inquest, and he would ensure any any recommendations were enacted.
He said placing warning signs at selected sites along the 7.2km beach could ‘‘provide a false sense of security’’ at places that might also be dangerous.
Cr O’Brien said he had asked the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia and the Royal Life Saving Society, for advice.
LACK OF AWARENESS
Rockdale mayor Shane O’Brien said alleged council failings in an online petition showed a lack of awareness about water safety.
‘‘The assertions are well intentioned, but they don’t go to the core of the matter, which is children must be taught to swim and they must be supervised,’’ he said.
‘‘Supervision means being in the water or at the water’s edge, ready to act, rather than sitting in the park with your Esky and barbecue.
‘‘You can go [to Dolls Point] on any weekend and you won’t find a commensurate number of adults to children in the water.’’
■ Should the council be doing more?
BOY DROWNED QUICKLY SO CLOSE TO SHORE
By Emma Partridge
Kindergarten pupil Ayman Ksebe escaped his family’s eyes only for a few seconds.
But it was enough time for the five-year-old to dart across the sand into the water. He could not swim.
As his family shared a picnic on a grass reserve overlooking Sandringham Beach, Ayman (pictured) slipped off a sand embankment and into deep water at about 4pm on December 22.
Police say his 14-year-old brother Rami ran towards him after he saw the boy slip under the water a few metres off the shore.
He grabbed hold of his brother but his grip was torn by a strong current.
‘‘He started losing his footing at the drop-off, dropped his brother and watched him slip into the deep water,’’ said water police.
Rami yelled out for help, but by the time an uncle reached the spot Ayman had vanished beneath the surface in front of Georges River 16ft Sailing Club.
Police divers found his body resting on the ocean floor the following day only 70 metres from where he had fallen in.
Senior Sergeant Brett Prentice from Botany Bay water police has urged parents to watch their children closely, no matter where they are swimming.
‘‘It really highlights the dangers of not supervising children, especially if their children aren’t taught how to swim,’’ Senior Sergeant Prentice said.
He said the stretch of water where the Georges River met Botany Bay was not a dangerous spot but that tragedy could strike anywhere around water.
‘‘All parents should be extra vigilant when watching their children,’’ he said.
Ayman’s family said they wanted the Condell Park Public School student to be remembered as a bubbly boy with a big smile.
‘‘Best smile, most bubbly little boy, he was adored by all,’’ said his uncle, Rodney Kahil. ‘‘We absolutely loved him.’’
What do you think should be done to prevent more drownings?
