Five teenagers arrested over bashing of lifeguard at Melbourne's Casey ARC

Victoria Police have arrested and charged five men following the alleged bashing of lifeguard at the Casey Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Melbourne's southeast last month.

Caught on video, the widely reported event saw a group of teenagers allegedly attack the 19-year-old lifeguard after he had asked them not to stop doing stunts near other swimmers.

The incident, on the afternoon of Sunday 19th January was then allegedly headbutted, kicked and punched by the group who fled the scene.

Victoria Police’s Casey Crime Investigation Unit detectives charged five people on Monday after executing search warrants at properties in Cranbourne North and Narre Warren South.

Almost a month to the day, five teenagers - aged 15 to 19 year - were arrested by in raids in Cranbourne North and Narre Warren South.

They were charged with affray and assault and bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in May.

The lifeguard, whose uniform was left splattered with blood, was taken to Dandenong Hospital to be treated for cuts and scratches to his upper body after the incident.

He was subsequently discharged.

However, a further incident of violence that saw a group of teenagers fighting on the pool deck at the Casey RACE facility was reported on 2nd February. 

At the end of last week a partnership consisting of Aligned Leisure, Life Saving Victoria (LSV) and Royal Life Saving Society - Australia (RLSSA) advised of how they plan to take a risk-based approach to identify new (or enhance existing) mitigants that can be taken to reduce the likelihood or consequence of this type of behaviour.

At a national level, there are understood to be approximately 2,000 acts of violence and/or anti-social behaviour at aquatic facilities (an average of five incidents a day).

While this type of behaviour has been condemned by the industry as well as the Victorian community more broadly, LSV notes “disappointingly there appears to be an escalation of the frequency and severity of these types of incidents, requiring a collaborative and cohesive all-of-industry response.”

Image: An image of the alleged perpetrators responsible for the attack on a lifeguard at Casey ARC on Sunday 19th January. Credit: Victoria Police.