The deadly shipwreck that preceded Harold Holtâs drowning death News by Jamie Duncan Premium Content Subscriber only Even today, the treacherous beaches and rocky coastline of Point Nepean are closed to the public, and with good reason. Rough seas and dangerous currents swirl around Point Nepean and The Rip, the narrow entrance to Port Phillip between Point Nepean and Point Lonsdale that is bedevilled by huge tidal surges and submerged rocks and reefs. The most famous event in Point Nepean's history happened on December 17, 1967, when then-Prime Minister Harold Holt took a pre-lunch swim with friends at Cheviot Beach, one of his favourite swimming and snorkelling locations, and disappeared into the boiling surf.