On Saturday alone, 145 water rescues were made across Victoria, 17 per cent of the number of incidents recorded over the whole summer in 2024.

Treloar said it was the most water rescues in a single day he’d seen in his entire career.

“In my 20 years plus with this organisation, I don’t remember a day in Victoria where we’ve performed that many rescues,” he told 9News.

Dozens more were rescued around the coast as the heat brought thousands to beaches around the state.

Today’s conditions were calmer as Surf Life Saving Victoria blamed social media as a big factor for putting inexperienced swimmers in danger.

The hunt for hidden beaches and secluded spots is landing swimmers in a lot of trouble.

“The safest reality remains that the safest place to swim is between the red and yellow flags,” Treloar said.

Locations such as Bushrangers Bay and Mount Martha Pillars on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula have become hugely popular online but are unmanned by lifeguards

There are more than 60 beaches and pools across the state staffed by surf rescue teams to keep people safe.

Further inland, firefighters in Victoria battled another type of extreme.

A grassfire sparked in Port Melbourne about 8.30pm on Saturday, caused panic near the West Gate.

The flames clung to the dry shrub and pushed the blaze into the path of a storage facility.

It took about 50 firefighters to bring the fire under control.

It is now being treated as suspicious.