Search for Missing Snorkeller in WA Continues; NSW Battles Hazardous Surf and Drownings
January 2, 2026
Rescuers are searching for a 32-year-old man who went missing while snorkelling at Ledge Point Beach, 105km north of Perth, Western Australia. The man was reported missing around 3pm on Thursday, police said. The search involves Marine Rescue boats, jetskis, police air-wing officers, and divers. It continued Friday morning in the water and along the coastline. Meanwhile, in New South Wales, emergency teams are looking for two people who went missing in rough surf over New Year's. A Nepalese man went missing early Thursday morning at Coogee Beach, Sydney. He was one of four people swimming who got caught in a "very big rip," according to Ben Heenan, president of Coogee Surf Life Saving Club. Three swimmers reached shore, but one did not. Rescue efforts began immediately. Also, a 14-year-old boy is missing after a dinghy capsized at Palm Beach, north of Sydney, on New Year’s Eve. Two men and the boy were in the boat when it overturned. One man died, and another was rescued by helicopter. This week, three more people died in water incidents along the east coast, including near the Great Barrier Reef and beaches in Sydney and Dunbogan. The dangerous surf was caused by strong southerly winds. The Bureau of Meteorology ended its hazardous surf warning Friday morning but kept a strong wind warning for the Eden Coast. Steven Pearce, CEO of Surf Life Saving NSW, said all drownings happened in "really hazardous surf conditions" and mainly at unpatrolled beaches. He urged people to swim only at beaches with lifesavers and between the red and yellow flags. Pearce stressed, "Every drowning that’s occurred in the last 12 months [has] been at unpatrolled locations, away from red and yellow flags, and away from where there’s skilled and trained lifeguards and lifesavers."
Read More at Theguardian →
Tags:
Missing Snorkeller
Hazardous Surf
Western Australia
New south wales
Beach Safety
Drownings
Comments