Good Friday Tragedy: Four Dead, Two Missing in Separate Drowning Incidents Along East Coast Beaches
A series of devastating drownings on Good Friday has left four people dead and two missing across beaches in Victoria and New South Wales, as dangerous surf and swell conditions battered the coastline.
Woman Dead, Man Missing in San Remo Tragedy
In Victoria, a woman has died and a man remains missing after three people were swept off rocks into the ocean at a beach near San Remo, south-east of Melbourne. Emergency services responded to reports around 8:30am that two women and a man had been washed into the sea near Punch Bowl Road.
“One of the women was able to make it back to shore, but the other woman and the man could not,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said. The woman’s body was later recovered from the water, and a search for the missing man continues.
Punchbowl Beach, according to the Surf Life Saving Beachsafe website, is a 50-metre stretch of sand surrounded by steep cliffs and rocks. It’s described as “moderately hazardous” and “unsuitable for swimming” due to permanent rips and difficult access.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan expressed her condolences and reminded the public of the need for water safety over the Easter weekend. “It is a reminder about being safe around all waterways — beaches, rivers, dams, swimming pools,” she said.
Three Dead, One Missing in NSW Amid Dangerous Swell
Meanwhile, in New South Wales, three people lost their lives in separate drowning incidents, and another person is missing.
A 58-year-old fisherman was swept off the break wall at Wollongong Harbour around 6am. He was pulled unconscious from the water but could not be revived.
A few hours later, a man drowned in Sydney Harbour after reportedly falling from rocks at Middle Head Point.
Later in the afternoon, a third drowning occurred at Green Cape on the far south coast of the state.
Authorities are also searching for a missing swimmer last seen struggling in the surf off Little Bay Beach in Sydney’s south just after 1pm. A major search operation is underway.
Due to the hazardous conditions, lifeguards closed many popular Sydney beaches and warned that anyone attempting to enter the water would be removed for their safety.
