Bombo Beach will become the training ground for shark-spotting drone technology on Monday, in the wake of the region’s most significant shark attack for half a century.
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Kiama beaches will re-open on Saturday morning following two days of scrutiny from local authorities and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
The beaches – Bombo, Jones, Kendalls, Surf and Easts –were closed when 22-year-old surfer Brett Connellan lost a large part of his thigh to a twilight shark attack at Bombo, Wednesday.
Albion Park-based aerial surveillance contractors Touchdown Helicopters had flown over the beach two days earlier.
The service, employed by the DPI to patrol from Moruya to Stockton in Newcastle, will be overhead at Kiama on Saturday and Sunday.
Director Brett Kiteley said patrols would then resume from April 9 until April 26 – when school holidays and Anzac Day are expected to draw crowds to the water.
“We’re going to be running patrols every day from [April 9-26], north and south” Mr Kiteley said.
Meantime, operators of the ‘Little Ripper’ unmanned lifesaver helicopters will be at Bombo Beach Monday morning to begin a two-day trial of the technology.
Premier Mike Baird launched the $250,000 device at Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter Base at La Perouse on February 28, declaring it “the future of rescue" in NSW. Trials funded by Westpac and the the DPI have been ongoing on beaches in the state’s north.
The devices have been developed to detect sharks and assist with search and rescue operations.
Kiama council lifeguard supervisor Andy Mole welcomed the trial.
Kiama beaches were opened after a final jetski patrol from 5pm to sundown on Friday failed to detect any shark activity.
A member of the Jones Beach Board Riders club which Mr Connellan is also part of, Mr Mole said it was important that area surfers got back on their boards.
“I’ll probably be going for a surf myself at some stage tomorrow,” he told the Mercury on Friday evening.
“I think everyone’s very keen to get back in the water and not dwell on what’s happened, because there’s been enough of the scare factor.
“I think it’s a view shared by most board riders and most people that love the water. We know there are risks when we choose to do our recreational activities in the ocean.
“People just need to be mindful. If there’s lots of baitball around, they need to remove themselves from the water.” Mr Connellan is continuing his recovery in St George Hospital.
