Chinese woman drowns after group swept off rocks on Mornington Peninsula

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A Chinese national has died after she was swept off rocks on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

Emergency services were called to the bottom of Cape Schanck boardwalk where crews winched the body of a 53-year-old woman from the water about just after midday.

It’s understood a group of three people were swept off rocks in the area’s vicinity and only two were able to make it back to shore safely.

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A 55-year-old man from China and a 24-year-old Parkville man were transported to Rosebud Hospital in a stable condition, understood to be suffering from shock.

9News understands the group was walking along rocks near the boardwalk at the Cape Schanck Lighthouse when they were swept off the shore by a wave.

The stretch of Victorian coastline is notoriously dangerous and has been the site of several tragic deaths in the last decade.

In February this year a crashing wave swept a group onto the rocks at Cape Schanck, injuring eight people.

In 2021 , 45-year-old Aida Hamed drowned at nearby Bushrangers Bay, when she and a group of others, including family members, were washed off the rocks into the water.

A 64-year-old diver drowned when he got into trouble in the same waters on Christmas day in 2018.

That incident was less than a year after a man was flown to hospital in a critical condition after he and six others were washed off the rocks.

Lifesaving Victoria’s Liam O’Callaghan encouraged visitors to the area to take care around unpatrolled beaches such as Cape Schanck.

“When you’re along boardwalks you’ve got to be careful and watch your footing,” O’Callaghan said.

“We really encourage people to consider the safest place for people to swim – pool or patrolled locations – make sure you know your limitations,” O’Callaghan said.