NSW drowning, Victoria man missing

A man has drowned on the NSW coast while another man has gone missing in Victoria after being caught in a rip.

NSW's Duranbah Beach in Tweed Heads. Picture: Supplied

A 28-year-old man has gone missing after he went for a late afternoon Christmas swim and was caught in a rip at a beach on Phillip Island in Victoria.

Victoria Police have entered the second day of their search for the man, who was last seen entering the water at Cape Woolomai in the state’s southeast.

Sergeant Bruce Kent said the man lives in Queensland but was visiting family who live in Lalor, in Melbourne’s north, over the Christmas period. His parents are in India and authorities are working to arrange visas so they can come to Australia.

“They are devastated, the family here at the moment. They just want the recovery,” said Sergeant Kent.

He said the local life-saving club was not open on Christmas Day so there were no flags on the beach to indicate where it was safest to swim.

“Put it this way, you wouldn’t get me in there,” said Sergeant Kent.

“They’ve gone into the area where it’s nice and flat and of course that’s where the rip is. He’s walked straight into the middle of the rip and was taken out straight away.

“A couple of locals on surfboards tried to rescue him, but the conditions were that bad that they missed out on grabbing before he went right under.”

He said police believed the man didn’t have a strong swimming ability.

The search will continue today and if there are no results will continue into tomorrow, with Victoria Police planning to bring in divers.

“Hopefully we have an outcome,” said Sergeant Kent.

Life Saving Victoria issued a plea today to beachgoers to swim between the red and yellow flags over the summer following the drowning of a father at Skenes Creek on the Great Ocean Road last week.

Extra lifeguards will be on patrol and cover 57 locations on weekends over summer.

“Conditions can change quickly so we ask people to check weather forecasts and monitor the conditions,’’ Life Saving Victoria lifesaving operations manager Greg Scott said.

“To ensure your day at the beach is an enjoyable one, consider your own abilities as well as the abilities of any children or family members with you, before entering the water.

“Know how to identify and avoid rip currents. Three-quarters of people cannot identify a rip current, and two-thirds of the people who think they can spot a rip, can’t.”

Meanwhile in NSW, police are investigating the drowning death of a man at a beach on the Far North Coast after a “mass rescue” of eight people believed to be tourists who got into trouble in the water.

About 4.45pm yesterday, emergency services were called to Duranbah Beach at Tweed Heads, not far from the Queensland border, after reports several people were in trouble in the water.

NSW Surf Life Saving said lifeguards raced to the scene and rescued one of the men.

“It was clear that a mass rescue was required with at least 5 more people clearly in distress,” SLSNSW said in a statement.

In two more trips to rescue more people, lifeguards saw the final man unconscious in the water. He was pulled out and began giving him emergency treatment.

Paramedics and NSW Police rushed to the scene, and despite extensive CPR, the 22-year-old man was pronounced dead. “All efforts to revive the distressed swimmer were unsuccessful,” SLSNSW said.

Three more of the men were taken to hospital for further treatment, while the remaining four were taken to hospital for assessment. The man’s death is the 17th coastal drowning since July.

NSW Police said in a statement a report will be prepared for the coroner. “Officers from Tweed Byron Local Area Command have commenced investigations into the incident,” they said in a statement.

“The incident is a timely reminder for swimmers to make safety the priority when in, on or around the water this summer.”

It is understood the group were aged in their mid-20s and early-30s were tourists visiting the area.

SLSNSW chief executive Steven Pearce said it was a Christmas tragedy.

“Christmas Day is special for the community and any tragedy is magnified on a day like this. The lifeguards and lifesavers involved all put in a heroic effort to save this young man’s life, but unfortunately were unable to do so,” he said.

“This tragedy reinforces why we are so determined to ensure that our safety messages are heard and understood. Our sincere thoughts and sympathies are with the man’s family and friends at this sad time.”