Coogee beach, one of Australia’s favourite beaches has also been named one of its most dangerous.
Data from Surf Life Saving NSW has revealed it had the most calls for ambulances in the summer of 2015/16.
19 out of 47 of those calls for assumed spinal injuries – more than any other beach in the state.
Data reveals Coogee surf (pictured) responsible for more spinal injuries than any other beach
Surf Life Saving NSW data reveals 19 out of Cooge’s 47 calls were for assumed spinal injuries
Byron Bay, Bondi Beach and Newport Beach all came in second highest on the list.
Each of the three beaches recorded five ambulance requests for potential spinal injuries.
Liam Jackson, a surf lifesaver, told the Sydney Morning Herald how he suffered a fractured spine from swimming at Coogee.
He had to wear a neck brace for three months and said people take too many risks in the water.
‘There’s definitely some precautions there [with signs] and if you’re a local you know Coogee is bad for its shore dumpers, but you still don’t realise how dangerous it is,’ he said.
‘You never think it will happen to you.’
Coogee beach has a narrow, steep face of sand and this combined with dumping waves – the most dangerous type of wave – puts people at a much greater risk of spinal injuries if they surf them.
Andrew Short, a coastal studies researcher from the University of Sydney, told the Sydney Morning Herald said it’s this geography which puts people at risk.
‘Bodysurfers, usually young males, catch the waves and are dumped head-first into the sand,’ he says.
‘The hazard rating [Beachsafe gives Coogee a hazard rating of 4 out of 10] is based on people being rescued, which doesn’t generally happen when people injure their backs,’ Professor Short says.
Coogee’s steep and narrow face of sand with dumping waves (pictured) put people at risk
‘Coogee has a low level of risk to people in the surf, but regrettably there is a significant number of people being injured by dumping waves.’
Lifesaving manager at Surf Life Saving NSW, Matthew Du Plessis, said life-changing accidents often happen when inexperienced surfers hit the waves.
‘The ocean is an awesome playground, but unfortunately, if you don’t know what you’re doing, things can go wrong quickly,’ he said.
Liam Jackson, a surf lifesaver, told the Sydney Morning Herald how he suffered a fractured spine from swimming at Coogee.
He had to wear a neck brace for three months and said people take too many risks in the water.
‘There’s definitely some precautions there [with signs] and if you’re a local you know Coogee is bad for its shore dumpers, but you still don’t realise how dangerous it is.
‘You never think it will happen to you,’ he said.
Bondi Beach (pictured) along with two others came in second highest on the list
Byron Bay (pictured) recorded five ambulance requests for potential spinal injuries in 2015/16