Wattamolla drowning, Sachet Bimali: Tributes flow for international student

A Nepalese international student who drowned at the notorious Wattamolla lagoon on Monday has been remembered as a “wonderful person”.

Twenty-seven-year-old Sachet Bimali drowned outside lifeguard patrol hours at Wattamolla Beach south of Sydney on Monday evening, after reportedly jumping a warning fence leaping from a rock ledge. Picture: Facebook

A Nepalese international student has been remembered by friends as a “wonderful person” after he drowned at a notorious coastal lagoon in the Royal National Park.

Sachet Bimali, 27, drowned outside lifeguard patrol hours at Wattamolla Beach south of Sydney on Monday evening, after reportedly jumping a warning fence leaping from a rock ledge.

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter attended the lagoon just after 5pm and began an underwater search assisted by Surf Life Saving duty officers Joel Wiseman, Jackson Towns and an off-duty colleague.

“The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter crewmen had flippers and goggles and was able to dive under the water,” Mr Wiseman said.

Twenty-seven-year-old Sachet Bimali. Picture: Facebook

“After 20 minutes of searching, he found the man who was about seven feet under the water.”

Mr Bimali was pulled to the surface and taken to shore on a rescue board, but despite their best efforts to perform CPR, the man could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene by a NSW Ambulance doctor.

The man had been swimming at Wattamolla with a woman who was treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to hospital conscious and breathing.

Lifeguards have revealed their desperate effort to save a man’s life before he tragically drowned at Wattamolla Beach on Monday evening.

In a tribute to Mr Bimali online, one of Mr Bimali’s friends said he was a “wonderful person”.

“You will be so missed bro,” the post read. “See you on the other side.”

This is the sixth drowning at Wattamolla in the past five years, and the 12th at Royal National Park beaches including the notorious Figure 8 Pools.