Search Continues For Man Pulled Out To Sea At Coogee
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Emergency services are continuing their search for a man in his twenties at Coogee, after he was pulled out to sea in the early hours of the new year.
Sushan Khadka, arrived in Australia from Nepal four years ago, and is a student and bartender at the Coogee Pavilion
Two helicopters, a drone, and several boats are assisting divers as they search the water, still focused on finding Khadka alive.
Authorities were called to the beach at about 6am on Thursday after four people were knocked off their feet in a rip and dragged into deeper waters.
“They tried to make their way back to shore and required assistance,” Coogee Surf Life Saving Club president, Ben Heenan, told reporters on Thursday.
“Three of them were able to make it back to shore. Unfortunately, one was unable to return. We immediately commenced a search.”
As of Friday afternoon, one other person is missing and four have drowned, including a 25-year-old woman, whose body was found at 5am on Thursday at Maroubra Beach after she was hit by a wave and pulled out to sea.
Another woman, who died at Dunbogan Beach in Camden Haven on the Mid North Coast, has been identified as Melissa Austin, a 45-year old mother and hairdresser from Berowra Heights.
Swimmers more likely to drown in the new year’s period
“We knew that New Year’s Day was going to be very busy operationally for us because, statistically, we see that people are three times more likely to drown in that period rather than any other time during the year,” said Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce.
“Already we have seen tragedies unfold that will ripple across so many families and so many first responders.”
The dangerous conditions forced multiple beaches across Sydney to close yesterday, with Pearce urging the public to only swim between the red and yellow flags at lifeguard or lifesaver-patrolled beaches.
“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.”
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib thanked the first-responder service workers and volunteers who were involved in the incidents.
“Many have already been working long hours in very challenging and unpredictable conditions,” Dib said.
“I cannot stress enough that people should follow advice of emergency services and stay out of the water when beaches are closed.”
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