The community is calling for the council to introduce more safety precautions around the Murrumbidgee River after a man drowned in the water last week.
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28-year-old Mark Timms was swimming at Wagga Beach on Sunday evening when he went underwater and did not resurface.
His body was found four days later.
His partner Meagan Brooks recounted how quickly the river took him.
“He only got three strokes across before he started just going out, and by the time he got to the middle, it just got him,” Ms Brooks said.
“It was as if somebody just pulled him under – he was just gone.
Ms Brooks said she would like to see more precautions taken to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again.
“Mark wasn't a very strong swimmer, and where we're from, we swim in the ocean, not rivers – it's totally different,” she said.
“I think there needs to be signs put up here at the river and more education.
“They don't whack kids out in the middle of a river and say ‘here's what you do when you're in trouble’.”
President of the Wagga Bidgee Canoe Club Jason Redlich knows the Murrumbidgee better than most.
Mr Redlich said that while the river might look like a good place to relax, it was what you couldn’t see that was the problem.
“There's all sorts of hidden dangers like submerged trees and snags, and the banks are quite steep, so it can be difficult for people to find a safe spot to get out of the river,” he said.
“It's all about knowledge and skill – if you don't have knowledge and skill and you just swim out in that river, yo could be asking for a bit of trouble.”
He also said the canoe club makes all members undergo an extensive training program before they’re allowed to roam the river.
“They won't be allowed on the river unsupervised until they've completed a range of skills and demonstrated their ability to operate safely,” Mr Redlich said.
“I think it's one of the gripes of a lot of our more senior club members – that the general public have very little regulation on them in the river.”
Mayor Greg Conkey agreed more precautions needed to be taken.
“We need to have an education campaign concerning river safety, but I personally don't believe lifeguards are the way to go,” he said.
Related coverage:
- Partner remembers Mark Timms as a loving father following drowning tragedy
- Body of missing swimmer found in Murrumbidgee River overnight
- Friend reveals missing man was injured when he entered the river
- Widow of man who drowned a year ago reaches out in support
- Police divers to join search for man missing in Murrumbidgee River