Three people drown in 24 hours

Three drownings in the past 24 hours come just hours after a major surf lifesaving body announced it was blacking out its website after too many “dark days of tragedies”.

A man has died after being pulled from the water at a Sunshine Coast beach.

He was treated by critical care paramedics at the scene at Peregian Beach, off Kingfisher Dr, after being pulled about 10.30am Sunday.

At 11am, a Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said the man was in a critical condition and being treated by paramedics on the beach. Their death was confirmed about noon.

It comes after a man in his mid-20s drowned after being pulled from the waters of a popular swimming hole near Cairns.

An aerial view of Behana Gorge. Picture: Brendan Radke

Emergency services responded to an incident at Behana Gorge about 5.10pm Saturday where a 24-year-old man drowned, Queensland Police confirmed.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics arrived and attempted to resuscitate the man via CPR but were unsuccessful.

In a third incident, a 59-year-old Queensland man drowned near Byron Bay yesterday.

Suffolk Park beach, just south of Byron Bay. Picture: Scott Fletcher

NSW Police confirmed emergency services were called to Suffolk Park Beach, south of Byron Bay, about 12.30pm Saturday after the body of a swimmer was removed from the water by surfers.

Witnesses commenced CPR but the 59-year-old Queensland man died at the scene.

The latest drowning tragedies come as a major surf lifesaving body announced that it is blacking out its website after a shocking new report showed that a drowning happened every second day on Australian beaches over summer on average.

Surf Life Saving Australia says it was a ‘summer of tragedies’, with 49 coastal drownings between December 1 last year and February 28.

Surf Life Saving Queensland recorded 15 beach drownings since the start of the 2020-21 patrol season last July.

They included three in 36 hours when huge swells pounded the Gold Coast in February.

The Surf Life Saving Foundation is turning its website black every second day over April to mark the grim toll.

SLSA General Manager Coast Safety Shane Daw said the loss of life at any time was devastating, let alone during the Christmas holidays.

“To have 49 coastal drowning deaths during what should be a time of celebration is far more reaching than most will ever know, with families, friends and loved ones also victims of these tragic events,” he said.

“In honour of the lives that have been lost on our coast over summer, the Surf Life Saving Foundation website will turn black every second day for the month of April to bring awareness to these shocking statistics.

“The black website is intended to highlight the dark days that these tragic drownings represent for families, loved ones and communities.”

Surf Life Saving Foundation chief John Brennan said it was hoped the ‘dramatic visual’ would make people stop and take notice of surf safety messaging

“With 71% of summer drownings occurring greater than one kilometre from a surf life saving service, we see this as an educational opportunity for the public to ensure they are visiting a patrolled location,” he said.

“Our volunteer surf lifesavers are trained and equipped to the highest level and can certainly be the difference between life and death when someone gets into trouble in the water.”

Mr Daw said education was key when it came to being safe on the coast and most, if not all coastal drowning deaths, were preventable.

“We urge all visiting the coast to understand where they are going, their own limitations and how to stay safe,” he said.

“Take a stop, look, plan approach to your visit to the coast and where possible swim at a patrolled beach between the red and yellow flags.”