Australia’s Easter long weekend has turned deadly, with five drowning deaths and two people still missing after a series of water tragedies along the east coast.
The latest incident occurred on Saturday morning when a rock fisherman was swept into the ocean at Tathra on New South Wales’ far south coast. Emergency services were called to Kianinny Bay near the Kangarutha Walking Track around 8:15am, and the body was recovered roughly three hours later. While formal identification is pending, police believe it to be the missing fisherman.
A Series of Tragic Incidents
This marks the latest in a string of drownings in New South Wales and Victoria over the Easter holiday.
On Friday morning in Victoria, emergency crews responded to a beach near San Remo, about 125km south-east of Melbourne, where three people had been swept into the surf. One woman managed to reach the shore, while a second woman was found unresponsive in the water and could not be revived. The search for the third person, a man, continued into Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, a fisherman died after being pulled into the water at Wollongong Harbour. The 58-year-old was pulled from the water unconscious around 6am but could not be revived.
A man also drowned that morning at Mosman, on Sydney’s north shore, while a fisherman’s body recovered near Eden at Green Cape on Friday afternoon is yet to be formally identified.
Meanwhile, a search remains underway for a 24-year-old man swept off the rocks by a large wave at Little Bay Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs around 1pm Friday. A coordinated search effort is set to resume Sunday.
Warnings from Authorities
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued warnings for hazardous surf conditions along much of the NSW coastline, advising people to take extra precautions near the water.
“Surf and swell conditions are expected to be dangerous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming,” BOM said in a statement.
Three of the five confirmed deaths this weekend involved fishermen swept into the sea, prompting Royal Life Saving Australia to remind the public to wear life jackets, heed weather alerts, and avoid fishing in unsafe conditions.
“The significant swell has made virtually every rock shelf between the Queensland border and Melbourne unsafe for rock fishing,” CEO Justin Scarr told AAP.
Dr. Scarr advised people to reconsider going rock fishing over the remaining days of the long weekend and urged parents to closely supervise children near water. He also reminded boaties to ensure they had adequate life jackets for all on board.
