A grieving dog owner from Western Australia is mourning the loss of her beloved pet after a tragic accident at 11 Mile Beach in Esperance.
Georgia Crook was swimming with her partner and two dogs at the weekend when the unthinkable happened.
Mushu, her three-year-old Australian shepherd, was sucked into a gap in the reef by a rip in a matter of seconds. Despite being just metres away, the couple could do little to help as Mushu was dragged under by the current.
A grieving dog owner from Western Australia is mourning the loss of her beloved pet after a tragic accident at 11 Mile Beach in Esperance.
Ms Crook is now calling for clearer warning signs to be installed at the popular beach, fearing that other pets or even children could be injured or killed if changes are not implemented.
“It all happened in about two seconds and in front of our eyes,” Crook told 7NEWS.
“I knew instantly he was gone and we weren’t getting him back. He was helpless.
“It was so heartbreaking.”
Ms Crook‘s story is not unique. In fact, she was shocked to learn that others had experienced similar tragedies at the same spot. According to Beachsafe, 11 Mile Beach has a general hazard rating of 8/10, indicating that it is “highly hazardous”. The site also warns of rips, which can be particularly dangerous for swimmers and their pets.
Ms Crook believes that while there are existing signs at the beach, a warning about the gap where the reef breaks away would benefit families and other swimmers.
“It wasn‘t deep water, and it was still,” she said, adding that she was on the beach side of the reef because she is 33 weeks pregnant. She and her partner were not taking any risks, but the rip still caught them off guard.
Ms Crook, her partner and her fur babies
After posting about their experience on a local community page, Ms Crook and her partner were hoping that Mushu would be found so they could bring him home to be buried. However, they were surprised to learn that others had experienced similar tragedies in the same location.
She is most concerned that a child could be injured or killed in the same way that her pet was, and she hopes that her efforts will help prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future.
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