SYDNEY: A fisherman died after being swept off rocks close to Sydney on Sunday (Apr 20), stretching the Easter weekend demise toll of drownings to 6 as large waves battered Australia’s east coast.
Emergency providers winched two individuals from the surf at Wattamolla Seashore, however one in every of them could not be revived, New South Wales Police mentioned in an announcement.
The pair had been fishing when swept off rocks on the outskirts of southern Sydney.
The second particular person, a 14-year-old boy, was in a secure situation in hospital.
It continued a run of fatalities over the vacation weekend, with the search ongoing for 2 different individuals nonetheless lacking within the surf since Friday – one off Sydney and one off Melbourne.
Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) issued a warning on Thursday that robust swells would create hazardous surf situations alongside the coasts of New South Wales and Victoria.
Three individuals drowned on Friday in New South Wales, whereas a girl died and a person went lacking after they had been swept into the ocean close to Melbourne.
On Saturday, when swells had been as excessive as 3.5m in some locations, a fisherman was swept to his demise off rocks in southern New South Wales.
SLSA had launched information earlier than the weekend exhibiting 630 individuals had died at seashores with out an lively lifesaving service over the past 10 years.
Chief govt Adam Weir suggested that patrolled seashores must be prioritised for security.
“We all know that Aussies and guests to our nation wish to go off the crushed monitor to get pleasure from tenting, fishing and different coastal actions,” Weir mentioned in an announcement.
“However these coastal places can current risks, some that you would be able to see and a few that you would be able to’t, which is why we have now some easy recommendation: Cease, Look, Keep Alive.”
