Fellow swimmers tried to save man who was swept away at popular MacKenzie Falls

Heroic bystanders tried desperately to reach a swimmer after he was swept away at a popular waterfall in Victoria’s west. Police located his body early this morning after he failed to resurface from the water yesterday.

A search is underway for a swimmer who went missing at the popular MacKenzie Falls in the Grampians. File image: AAP Image/Pablo Mena

Police divers have found the body of a 27-year-old New Zealand man who was swept away at a waterfall in Victoria’s west.

Senior Constable Alistair Parsons said the man drowned after falling into a rock pool at MacKenzie Falls in the Grampians National Park about 5pm yesterday.

His body was recovered by a police search and rescue team just before 1am this morning.

A witness told the Herald Sun how heroic bystanders tried desperately to reach the man after he was swept away.

Nathan Godwin said the man was swimming near the falls — a popular spot in the Grampians — when he appeared to get into trouble. The man’s wife and friends were present at the time.

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“It quickly became apparent that he was in trouble as he was trying to grab on to the ledge,” Mr Godwin told the Herald Sun.

“One of the guys started to swim out to him; however shortly after, he went under and when he got there, he couldn’t see him.

A warning sign at MacKenzie Falls in the Grampians, where multiple people have previously drowned.

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“People started jumping in the water to help and someone gave some goggles to see under the water.”

Mr Godwin said one tourist refused to give up as he tried desperately to rescue the man.

“However as we were in the water, it was clear if we kept trying, we could have been sucked under too, and we urged the tourist that we had to stop,” he said.

The Adelaide man believes the signage in the area is not good enough.

“It wasn’t super clear just how dangerous it was,” he said.

“We were all in the same spot he was like half an hour earlier.

“We since learned that four died there in 2004 and then others recently.

“I think had we known just how bad this place was, we wouldn’t have gone in and risked it. I know I personally will be looking for clear warnings of places now.”

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Police will now prepare a report for the coroner.

It comes after three people drowned in two days this week, with a diver dying on Christmas Day after getting into trouble in choppy water off Cape Schanck.

A Christmas Eve swim ended in tragedy after a father and son died near The Colonnades at Phillip Island while taking a swim in “freak” conditions.

A 28-year-old tourist also drowned at MacKenzie Falls in January this year, which was inadvertently caught on camera.

Four people also tragically died at the waterfall on Christmas Day in 2004.