No trace found after life savers, police scour the coastline

POLICE have suspended their search for a body at Maroubra, with the helicopter and jet skis called off from the beach.

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A THREE hour search of the coastline off Maroubra Beach has failed to find any trace of a body reported to have been seen in the water this morning.

An aerial and water search was launched just after 8am after Police and Surf Life Saving NSW were informed of the sighting by passers-by.

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter swept the coastline, while Randwick City Council lifeguards searched the water on jet skis in extremely choppy conditions.

“Lifeguards put dye in the water to determine the current flow to help guide the search,” a Randwick City Council spokeswoman said.

“The search was called off by NSW Police after three hours of searching without locating a body.”

A Surf Life Saving NSW spokesman confirmed the search was called off due to low visibility in the driving rain and overcast conditions.

Helicopters have been searching for the body since early this morning. Picture: Marc Glekis/Facebook

“All I can say is we’re aware of the incident, at this stage we haven’t got information that it is a confirmed body but we believe that it was a body,” the spokesman said.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said Eastern Beaches police were deployed to the beach, but nothing was found.

“At this stage there’s been no missing persons report, but should that happen we will head back out,” the spokeswoman said.

”To my knowledge no belongings or anything have been found to suggest there was someone out there.”

Pavilion Beach Front Maroubra cafe owner Deanne Bond told Southern Courier she saw the search unfold.

A search helicopter looking over rough surf at Maroubra Beach. Picture: Melissa Seiler

“When I saw the chopper and jet ski guys I thought ‘oh no here we go,’ Ms Bond said.

“My first thought was that a fisherman might have been swept off the rocks.”

Maroubra Beach has since been closed due to rough surf conditions, with Randwick City Council lifeguards to be guided by Police as to whether the search will resume if conditions improve.

It comes just days after a man’s body was discovered on rocks at the northern end of nearby Coogee Beach on Saturday morning.

The body was stumbled upon by young swimmers at the beach who were taking part in the Coogee Grand Carnival day surf carnival.

The man was believed to have washed up on the rocks but the cause of his death is still unknown.

He was found without any identification or belongings and is believed to be in his 50s.

Eastern Beaches Inspector Aaron Wunderlich said the man was yet to be identified, but his death did not appear to be suspicious.