Woman drowns, man missing after late night swim on the Gold Coast

A woman has drowned and a man is missing after the pair went for a last night swim at a Gold Coast Beach on Thursday.

Surf lifesavers at Broadbeach on morning of February 5, 2021, after the body of a woman was found and a search continued for a missing man. Picture: Jodie Callcott

A woman has drowned and a man is missing after the pair went for a last night swim at a Gold Coast Beach on Thursday.

Emergency services were called to Kurrawa Beach in Broadbeach around 10.15pm after a bystander found the 29-year-old woman’s body washed up at the water’s edge.

The man and woman, known to each other, were seen entering the water along Old Burleigh Road at about 9.20pm (local time). CCTV cameras at the nearby Kurrawa Surf Club captured them entering the water but not emerging.

The search for the 32-year-old man, who is believed to be a local, resumed early on Friday morning. Water police and a Rescue 500 Helicopter are assisting the search alongside beach patrols.

Queensland Police Acting Inspector John Diggle said rescuers do not expect to find the man alive.

“At this time we are conducting a recovery mission,” Acting Inspector Diggle said. “We don‘t expect to find anybody alive.”

“There was a 1.8m swell last night. So, conditions for boating would have been appalling and conditions for swimming would have been very unsafe.”

The car believed to belong to the man was located at Kurrawa Surf Club, while “some” of his clothes were found on the beach.

Surf conditions last night were rough, impacted by a tropical cyclone currently hovering over the Coral Sea. Kurrawa Beach is currently closed.

Next of kin have not yet been notified.

A report will be prepared for the coroner in relation to the woman.